Dum Spiro Spero
by Redhead Turk
Summary: COMPLETED! Three years after Advent Children, Reno's life seems to be stable at last... but then it gets shattered into pieces, and he must do everything within his power to string it back, or lose everything. Rated T for violence, sexuality, profanity.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to FFVII. I wish I did.

Here is the awaited sequel to "The Footsteps of Life". If you haven't read it, don't worry, Reno will recap the past for you quite nicely. For those of you who are coming back, welcome back! And enjoy your stay.

_

* * *

Prologue_

_Hey you. My name is Renaldo Miller. Most likely, since you're reading this story, you already know about my past. But let's recap here, for those of you who weren't cool enough to read about my past. That's okay. You can go read it later. Gotta say it ain't real normal. _

_Okay. I was born in Midgar slums. Pretty regular kid. I had brown hair back then, and nothing of these mako-treated freaky blue-eyes shit. Mum was an angel, Dad was a bastard. I hated Dad. I still do. I have a younger brother, named Luca, who raises chocobos on a chocobo farm. Not an interesting job, if ya ask me. Anyways. Dad was a royal prick and a pain in the ass to say the least, and he always favored Luca to me. Not the regular kind, the terribly favored kind. So one day I snapped – I think I was fifteen or something around that – and left the house. Quit school, of course. The dude I looked up to, Legend, think his name was, told me to stay in school but I said no friggin' way. Teachers hated my guts, the principal just wasted paper and killed trees on me._

_I lived off the streets for couple of years. I joined a gang. Nothing too dangerous; I always knew my exit route and shit, and I'm pretty fast. I was a slum kid anyway. Nothing like getting raped, or raping people, or prostitution. (Hey, I've never actually seen a whore outside Honeybee, come to think of it.) _

_When I was 18, Tseng, my boss, was in the slums and he saw me do my shit. The douche – in all his uppity I'm-starched-and-I'm-righteousness – thought that I'd be a great Turk. 'Course, had no idea what Turk was. We don't hang around too much. Not many people know who we are. We're underground, we did – and still do – Shinra's dirty shit. That's our job. Most of them are dangerous. We get paid good. _

_I think I was a Turk for four years and counting when I met… her. Yeah. Four years. I was already a second-in-command of the Turks. The title didn't mean anything, but it just meant that if Tseng was gonna go a downer, I was gonna order people around. Never thought that'd happen, but that'll come on later. Sheesh, hold your horses. I'm getting there, 'right?_

_Anyways, the new chickie was Tseng number two, as far as I could see. And since I was bothering Elena so much – well, I wasn't, I was just playin', jeez Elena! – Tseng assigned her to me. You know, teach the silent rules of the Turks and shit. Like, you can kill people. We're licensed to kill. Or even if you don't follow orders to the letter, some goodies to Rufus will earn you brownie points. The stuff that's not in the handbook. (Hey Tseng, is there a Turk handbook? Never seen one before…)_

_Me, having my reputation, had to fuck this chick before the sun went down. Usually I'm good. Oh yeah, real good. I usually score, unless Rufus has already scored, then I don't wanna bed Ruf's trash, so I don't. But crikey, this chick – her name's Arien, by the way, weird name, isn't it? – didn't back down. She put up a fight. _

_She was pretty good, I gotta say. She managed to be alive without junior Turk training. Me and she are the only ones who never were junior Turk. Well, Arien was an Intelligence person, so maybe that counts. Yeah, I'm special. Fresh picked from the slums, yeah? _

_Where was I? Oh yeah. Well, I had to work with this chick. I left Rude, cuz he could take care of himself well and through, ya know? I mean, he's a Turk veteran. Anyway, something happened that I didn't mean for it to happen. While I was hunting this chick down, I fell for her. Maybe because I was her first guy. Or something. Who knows. Yeah. I bet that was her plan all along. Don't deny it, Arie, you wanted me. You wanted me bad._

_We started going out, shopping and dates and all the casual shit, then my room got trashed and since we lived in the same building – thanks a lot Tseng, you got me a bitch – I just moved into her room. It wasn't like we were that intima… intimate? Hey Arie, is that the word? Yeah it is. Anyway, we weren't that intimate, but I was too lazy to haul my shit across the sector, so I just moved in. We got closer then._

_Then all the crap happened with AVALANCHE and Old Shinra getting a nice stick in his back and Sephiroth and Meteor. Hectic. Arie got abducted, I went crazy about it, cuz Hojo's assistant thought it was a jolly good idea to do some weird shit to her. Turns out her sister wanted me as well – hey Elena, I told you I'm hot – so they switched. I didn't know what the fuck was going on. So Arie's sister, Reniel, got all the weird shit done to her. Then Reniel wasn't feeling too good with the weird shit – and that's an understatement right there – so they switched back again. Arie came back, the world was good, happy ending. Tseng got hurt, we thought he died, killed by Sephiroth (I told you I'll get to it. Well, here it is.) Right?_

_No._

_When Shinra HQ fell, Arie happened to be on guard duty, so she saved Rufus' life (thanks Arie, for adding a few more years of hell to my life). She got hurt, she couldn't move for two weeks, blah blah. She got better, though. Shinra was gone, Rufus was just this dude in white suit now, and we Turks stuck around because… yeah, I admit it, we kinda like that prick. Uppity, annoying, snob, but we like him. I mean, I took bullets and knives for that guy._

_Well, after stuff got back in order (sort of), we were in Healin. Arie and I bought a house. We killed people, because they were causing trouble. We had booze (as always). We had sex (like the usual). No, not Elena and me or Rude and me or Tseng and me or Rufus and me. ARRGH! Stop that shit. I am NOT gay, and Elena's swooning over Tseng in such a disgusting way I wanna puke. I mean Arie and me. What? We were dating, we fucked. (We still do.) Come on. We were like, 22 and 24, okay? Raging hormones. Whatever. _

_I think it was around this time that Geostigma started to go around. We didn't know it wasn't contagious back then, so we freaked out. Then it turned out Rufus had it. Even more freaking. Arie got Geostigma too, but she, being the independent bitch, never TOLD me. We'll get to this later. _

_We went to Costa – I think it was vacation – and Arie got this thing poked through her wrist by mistake. And it was her fault too. She got jealous of me… okay, okay, Arie, I'll stop, stop stepping on my foot with your four inch heel! Anyway, we didn't know that but what that thing did was infect her with this virus that made her able to do weird things and shit. We'll get to this later too. _

_We came back from Costa. Rennie died – she was pretty sick in the end – and Arien got depressed, blaming herself. The silver-haired babies were starting to bother Rufus right around then, so Tseng and Elena and me and Rude and were sent to take care of them. Well, Tseng and Elena and me were sent to get Jenova's head. As you already might now, they did a shitty job. I say shitty, Elena! That job was absolutely shitty! Okay, okay, enough with heels already. Rude and I came back, me bearing a gift – a slimy piece of an alien. Yeah, great gift, huh? "Here, sweetie, here's a piece of grossly slimy alien head. Don't you just love it?"_

_Arien, who was back at Healin taking care of Rufus, was sent to find Tseng and Elena, because, you know, they were missing. Arie found Tseng and Elena in the Forest of the Ancients, and another dude – Vincent Valentine. I think they still keep in touch sometimes. Arie treats him like a brother. Hey, as far as Valentine's not fucking my girl, I'm fine with it. _

_Well, Arien brought the two back home. Then we were sent to chase after the silver-haired trio. We first went to Gold Saucer – Elena got laid there, I just thought you'd like to know – and then we headed for the Wutai crypts. But turns out there were creepy ghosts in Wutai crypts. I had to haul Tseng out – Elena and me aren't really that sensitive to Wutai spirits, according to Tseng, because we aren't bred to believe in 'em. Tseng was from a family of priests – and that's why he has that red dot on his forehead, I used to think it was for archery target practice – so he was down. Arie was down too, even though she was just from a merchant class and wasn't that sensitive to it. Arie was taking the back, she got lost. She managed to get out by using the weird virus-power of hers, but got nearly torn in two. _

_This was around the time when we found out that Arie was pregnant. It was also around this time that Sephiroth – apparently he was trying to talk Arie into telling him where his dear mommy's head was – started to have a stronger influence. In the end, Arie found out that she lost the baby, and the weird virus shit, with Geostigma, could create a new disease. And since I was the closest – we did share a bed, lived in a same house – I was the most likely to get the sickness._

_So out of her deep love, she decided to dump me after telling me I was a piece of shit and nothing more than a trash, then leave me. I was pissed, but I got over it. I slept around couple of times, but it didn't work… I kept seeing that bitch in the girls' faces. Anyways, the silver-haired trio started causing trouble, so we had to fight them. You know the story, I think. Square-Enix showed small parts in this movie called Advent Children. (Gotta tell you, Cloud does NOT look that good, his hair is actually really the size of his head and his body the size of his hair, Sephiroth really looks more like a girl, Yazoo IS a girl, Loz doesn't have a brain, and Kadaj was definitely a juvie… and I look MUCH better than that.) _

_Well, after the fight in the tunnels (or when we just blew Yazoo the Pansy and Loz the Brainless up) I had a match with Arie, who betrayed us (or that was what we thought). She shot erratically through my arm. I shot her through the chest. And me, being the Turk I am, left her there to die._

_But that was lucky, because the rain that fell afterwards got rid of her Geostigma. She was found nearly dead, got carried to a hospital. The doctors took out the bullet. She was legally dead after that anyways. She got buried – I had to bury her myself, worst moment of my life, I thought I was gonna go crazy – then after we left, she came back to life. Or something. Using her super virus—power shit, she got out of the grave, made her way back to The Edge. That's the new city._

_Anyways, I was PISSED at her. So when she showed up on our doorstep, I screamed at her. She just said she didn't ask for forgiveness. Then she walked away. Without anything else. I got pissed off, but I also thought that if I didn't chase her, Arie, being the bitch that she is, would never come back. I also got a letter from her written before she semi-died (her dad gave it to me at the funeral) explaining everything. So we made up. We had make-up sex. Yes we did. It was good. Arie got pregnant again. This time, she had the kid safely. (Gotta say though, I'm so glad I'm a guy… I feel good with sex. Arie had to go through about a day's worth of pain… really.) It was a boy, Arie asked Vincent if she could have his name, Vince said sure. I wasn't too crazy with the idea, but my other ideas were like "Fluffly" and "Walnut" (I didn't tell her my ideas… didn't really want my ass shot off), and since Arie's a woman she won. So Vincent Renaldo Miller it was. _

_So we thought we could live happily ever after. Everything was done. A person couldn't go through so much in his life, right? We were done with killing and world chaos and Meteor and Sephiroth and all the "catastrophes" (hey Arie, is that how you spell it?), right?_

_How wrong we were._


	2. 1: Welcome to the Turks

Hey peoples! Thanks for coming back!

Nickelman - actually, Reno didn't have sex with Arien right after. If you read the other two stories, you'd get the time flow much better. Reno did a REALLY quick recap there... because the past two stories are fifty-some chapters long.I kind of guessed that Reno HAS to dye his hair, because his eyebrows aren't red. I still haven't figured out the red marks on his cheeks, though. Does anyone know what happened?

RaspberryPolarBear - aww, I'm so sorry. I hope my fic helped easing your pain... I really do. I'm so so glad you're still sticking with this series. Ivy will be playing a role in this fic - again. She has two kids, by the way (haven't thought of their names yet...). Arien is a cool character with adventures, but I'd rather be Ivy. She has a happier life, you know? Reno did get promoted to First-in-Command. Not that it means anything with our redhead.

NarcissisticRiceball - I BET Reno didn't finish high school. Legend is actually a character from this flash movie called "XIN", and he's the school captain who kinda reminds me of Rufus - quiet, controlled, and CLAD IN WHITE. Except that Legend has raven hair. So I added whole bunch of slangs and off-tangent-comments. Glad you liked.

Echo - I did get your character, thank you very much! She will make an appearance sooner or later. I've received about three, and they will all make appearances - I can't promise major parts, but they will receive roles. I might kill them off in the story, though, so if you don't want your character dead, please tell me before I murder the poor girl.

Ninja Girl Candy-Chan - So far I have three, and because I don't have the plot hammered down yet, I don't know. But I will call for more characters if I need them. Since the AC people will be making appearances (NOT Sephiroth, though... he can't be resurrected ALL the time), we'll have a nice party.

Insanity - lol. Your name is Insanity, you're entitled to go crazy. I'm glad you came back. This one will have a little more conflict between Rufus and Reno, which will be interesting, as well as Tseng and Reno. Reno got promoted! And we will also get to see the new Shinra Company getting off its feet and start running.

Again, thanks for coming back! And enjoy your stay. (Btw - Vincent Valentine will be called either "Vincent" or "Valentine" in this story... Reno Junior will be called "Vince" most of the time or "Reno Junior", unless it is obvious that the little kid is the one being talked about.)

* * *

"Vincent!"

Dark hair streamed behind, pale face contorted. A shock of raven flew behind the ear as he ran, fleeing, to be more precise. Large eyes were focused straight ahead, toward the safe haven, but the hunter was as skillful as he was, perhaps even more. He ran, ran amidst the wooden maze, trying to flee for his life.

"Come back here this instant!"

The said person was, contrary to most expectations, not our gunslinging ex-Turk. It was a small boy with a wild disarray of dark brown hair, shockingly blue eyes, and a mischievous thin mouth, dodging through wooden furniture. He crashed into a chair, knocked it over, narrowly swerved to the left to avoid a large table, and kept on running. His short legs had not yet started to thin, and his fingers were still chubby and stocky, unlike his father's. Laughing wildly, he fled his mother's extending hands.

The mother was young, barely in her mid-twenties. Unlike her son, her hair was long, bound in a ponytail. Her eyes were darker than her sons as well, and she definitely looked more Wutaian than her child. She chased after him, both sets of legs pumping, and her hands were just about to grasp the boy when he slid away like an eel, laughing even more wildly, looking back and chortling.

Arien DeVir stopped, sighed, hooked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then stood straight up. Her son – and Reno's, actually – was proving to be a bigger problem than a bahamut. It appeared that Reno's talents were hereditary; either that or the father was instructing the son very well, for Arien could only catch the small boy dipping his fingers in a honey jar, or grabbing cookies out of the can, or bringing mud into the house. When she looked again to start scolding, he was gone. She was losing her confidence that she could raise Vincent Miller as a responsible adult.

Vincent Renaldo Miller was three years old, with a mischievous mouth, a small nose and large, luminous azure eyes that was the mixed shade of his father and his mother. Although he was short and stocky, he could be expected to become slender, with long, deft fingers from his father and long legs from his mother. His chin was narrow, and his hair could not be tamed, even with Arien attacking at it with a comb and a brush. He could have been expected to grow into a handsome adult, but at the moment, mouth filthy with sweets and his pockets filled to the brim with candy, he looked hardly presentable.

His name was from Vincent Valentine, who reluctantly became his godfather after Arien – who was like a younger sister to him, in a way – had begged him. In all the truth, Vincent Valentine was unwilling to bear such responsibility, but Arien had bugged, prodded, persuaded, and begged him until he gave in. It wasn't a habit of him to say no to a woman anyway. Reno raised his eyebrow at this, but said nothing.

"Reno," Arien said crossly as she came across the young man sitting on a chair, legs crossed and watching the scene, "you can at least try to help, you know."

"I'd pass, yo."

"Reno, it's a dual responsibility. Vince's not only my child."

"Yeah yeah, okay okay!" Reno grinned at her. "Vince! Vincent!"

The small boy peered out from the corner of the wall, his small face now serious. Reno turned his head, then ordered:

"Come here."

Vincent Miller knew that he could cross mommy and there'd still be redemption, but crossing daddy was a tricky business and a risky one as well. He knew better than to disobey, so he obediently walked toward the redhead.

He grabbed the small child. "There," he said, turning his head to the woman. "Caught the kid."

"Vincent," Arien said sternly, "how many times do I have to tell you not to go through my kitchen? Do you want to get spanked again?"

"No, Mommy," the boy replied, lips quivering. Mommy's spanks hurt a lot.

"Do you think Uncle Vincent would have done that? Or Uncle Rufus?"

Vincent Miller had met Vincent Valentine only once, but had decided that Vincent Valentine was the coolest person upon earth, and his wish was to become like him. Called _Uncle Vincent_, the ex-Turk was a hero and a god for the small child. The ex-Turk didn't know this, of course. With the Deep Ground SOLDIER chaos in his recent history, he was still trying to settle with the fact that Chaos and other demons weren't really that influential anymore. Uncle Rufus, however, was completely another business. The quiet, young blond with startlingly beautiful blue eyes and elegance in his face was more like the small child's own conscience. If Vincent Valentine was the god to be emulated, Rufus Shinra was the god who judged. Either way, the two men were influential to the small boy.

"No, Mommy," the small Vincent said grudgingly. He did not really want to admit that he did something that Uncle Vincent would not do. Or do something that Uncle Rufus would stare at him coldly and say, "That really was not appropriate".

"Next time you do it, it'll be forty spanks, not twenty. If you want something sweet, then tell me, okay?"

"Yes Mommy." He stopped, then said, "I'm sorry."

Watching their son waddle back to his small bedroom, Arien sat on the arm of the chair gingerly.

"Do ya really think he'd listen, yo?" Reno asked dubiously. Arien shrugged.

"I suppose so. 'Uncle Vincent' is having a lot of influence on him, and besides, he's a clever kid, unlike either of us. He knows better than to get it illegally when he can get it legally. Unlike you, who seems to think that anything illegal is fun." She kissed him on the forehead.

"I don't think _everything_ illegal is fun," Reno protested. He was about to kiss her back when the cell phone broke their soft interlude.

"Reno! Come here this instant," Tseng's voice barked through the phone. The redhead frowned and made a face, and then put in a special effort to place his phone as far away from his head as possible.

"Fucker!" Reno muttered as he slammed the phone shut. "Today is my off day, yo!"

* * *

Since the entire Kadaj fiasco had ended, it had been three years. During those three years, Rufus had accomplished several things; one, he managed to find a fiancée, much to the comfort of his subordinates. Her name was Clarissa, and she happened to be of a fine specimen, according to Tseng, with auburn wavy hair and spring green eyes, with flawless creamy complexion. Two, he had managed to rebuild the Shinra Company, not to the old glory, but to something very close. With the old science team – or most of it – back at his call, he put pressure into oil refinery and oil field research, which proved to be a sufficient energy suppliant. This meant that the Turks were back into their positions. 

Or not so. Tseng had been promoted after the years of his service into the head of the General Research Department. This meant that Reno was now officially in command of the Turks, although not much had changed. Tseng was still the boss, Reno still the slacking subordinate. But now each Turk commanded a squadron of Turks-in-Training – the job was on high demand among the military academy grads who sought a dangerous but high-paying employment – with their tasks divided. Rude was in charge of combat details, what weapons to use, e.t.c, while Elena was the electrical and explosive technician in charge. Arien was taking care of the tactical maneuvers of each assignment. Because Reno was incapable, the other Turks had divided Tseng's job among themselves. Reno was in charge of the entire plan each time, deciding how to approach the problem. By his uncanny knack and sheer luck, Reno had managed to survive through the toughest ordeals. Although they did not want to, the official Turks grudgingly trusted the redhead not to get them killed.

When Reno returned to the small house they had lived in that night, Arien was silently knitting on the couch. The two needles clicked as she knitted the white sweater. The redhead knew that Vincent was already asleep, but still made a point to ask, "Vince?"

"Asleep," came back the reply. "It's eleven thirty, Reno. He wouldn't be up. You've been away for long. What kept you?"

"Tseng. Who else?" Reno sat down, making a face. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Knitting your sweater." Arien sighed. "You're awfully too tall. Can you shrink so I don't have to knit so much?"

"I can try my best, but I ain't promisin' anythin'," Reno slurred as he stretched his legs. "Dinner?"

She jerked a knitting needle at the coffee table, where the dinner was laid out.

"Thanks." Sitting on the carpeted floor, he peeled off the saran wrap from the plates and picked up the knife and fork. "We have a new assignment."

Arien sighed, rolled up the knitting, and sat on the floor perpendicular to her partner. "Who's threatening Rufus now?"

"Some old bloke."

The Turks had long ceased to be a recruitment squad. Instead, their express jobs were to kill. Arien did not enjoy it, and she disliked telling Vincent what they did for a living. But as Reno had put it, "That kid deserves the truth that we're rotten pieces of shit in society. We'll teach him it's bad to kill people. He can damn us later." The young woman regretted her career often these days. How long would it take before her son looked at her with scorn, perhaps even disgust?

Not very long, she assumed glumly.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Reno asked between a mouthful.

"About Vince." She sighed. "I never really thought about the morals about my job. And now…"

"It's haunting ya, right?"

Arien nodded helplessly.

"Well, we both had lots to go through," Reno said thoughtfully, making his point with his fork. "It's not like we were on a rosy chariot from plate one. Unlike the AVALANCHE dudes. Cloud was a happy kid compared to us, it looks like. So was Tifa and Yuffie and everyone else. We weren't."

"Which side will Vince be on?"

"Whichever side he chooses to be," Reno replied. "But we did our best to live. Hell, if I had a loving mom and a nice dad and a perfect family, I might have ended up raising chocobos like Luca. Instead, I'm here with you. And you… well, you didn't have a smooth ride either."

Her face was expressionless, but her blue-green eyes spoke volumes. No, she did not have a happy childhood. Justice was not meted out. Sibling rivalry getting out of hand, her father almost never at home, the war with Wutai… often, in her bed at Midgar Military Academy, she had raged against her fate, to be part of one group that was fighting another, and to be the member of the other group as well. Her first mentor, boyfriend, partner, suddenly gone in a bout of flames.

"We have seven more years," Arien said, almost to herself.

"Till we send him to JuMi?"

JuMi was the shortened form of Junon Military Academy, a brother academy to where Arien ad attended. It was not the top school as the Midgar one used to be, but it still gave discipline and a better education than the local schools. Arien knew that Reno had education complex; sure, Reno's paycheck was two more digits more than hers, but she still had a military diploma, which could be used in wide varieties. The Turk had agreed to send the child to the military academy when he turned ten years old.

Arien sighed. "I'm two-minded, which is not a good thing," she said solemnly. "I want to keep him… but that'll be selfish of me."

"You can be selfish… sometimes," Reno said pensively, while eating. "But not always. Like Rufus." Then he jerked his fork away from the mouth, and said, "Mm, that reminds me. We have a new incoming batch. Class of C-12."

"Another?"

"Yeah. There's about fifteen, so we get four each. Most of them won't last a year anyway."

That was an acknowledged fact among the Turks, and a well-kept secret. Those who had completed the training barely lasted a year; the first batch successfully died at an explosion at the rescue site, and they had to start anew. Arien groaned.

"And who's watching Vince? We both have to go, you know."

"We'll have Ivy watch him." Reno shrugged. "It's not like she's not the second mom..."

* * *

It all started with a small quarrel. It always did. 

The beginning was fuddled; nobody really knew who started it. Elena maintained that it was Reno, Reno upheld that it was Elena. Neither Rude nor Arien cared; all they wished for was this stupid war to end.

It all began when Elena failed a mission. Rude knew too well how it was beyond Elena's physical capability to hunt down a group of crazed scientists and steal a box of F-13 explosives. So did Arien.

Reno, who managed the impossible without a thought, didn't.

So when Elena came back, clothes torn and looking too depressed to be angry, Reno exploded. In her face.

"I fuckin' told you that this was a top priority mission, you bitch!" Reno screamed unprofessionally. Arien winced, and wondered why Reno could not scream at the poor woman in private. Elena was more than a capable Turk now, and she did not need this public humiliation.

"Well then, maybe you could have sent ten, not one!" Elena screamed back. "It was guarded with XV-28 cyclobots! A dozen of them! And you expect me to evade all thirteen, get the damn box, and come back here intact?" She glared. "I'd like to see you try."

"I've done worse."

"So you say."

By then Reno was livid with fury, and Elena was red in anger.

"You said you could do it, you fucking ass!"

"No, you told me I could! Obviously you were wrong!"

"For Shiva's sake, Elena! Why can't you be more like your sister?"

The room turned silent.

Elena had a sister, named Delara, who had also graduated from the Shinra Military Academy with top marks. A blonde tall woman, she was also a capable Turk with an adaptable sense of justice. Elena had loved her, admired her, and emulated her whenever she could. Unfortunately, Delara was murdered in her own apartment, in what was now called as "Turks Massacre".

Reno had a crush on Delara – a decisive woman with quick humor and a bright disposition, the redhead had taken a liking to her immediately. Arien knew that, had sometimes resented it, feeling that Reno was constantly comparing her to Elena's sister.

Elena did not know that Reno had a crush on her sister. But Elena missed her sister immensely, and an angry lava boiled in her mind, silently, seething. Thus, Delara was a touchy subject and generally avoided at all costs.

And Reno had just broken one of the cardinal rules: never speak the world _Delara_ in front of Elena.

Elena turned on her heels and left. Arien looked at the watch and said, "Re, you better talk to her. We're starting the orientation in few minutes, and we can't have you two fighting."

Reno sighed. "Fine," he said. "Who the hell made me the boss? And for Leviathan's sake, why?"

* * *

"Hey, Elena?" 

"Go away."

"Elena."

"Just fucking go away!"

Reno resolutely pulled out a pin from his pocket, jammed it into the lock, and picked it expertly. The lock unlocked with a click. Reno opened the door.

Elena was crumpled on the desk; from the looks of her face, she was crying. Reno stood, unsure of what to do. Arien rarely showed emotions. She did not even scream when she was giving birth. A splurge of emotion was alien to him.

"Elena?" He said slowly. "I'm… sorry." The word tumbled out from his mouth awkwardly, as if it were an angular block.

"Are you?" Elena shot a murderous glare at him. "Or are you saying that for something else?"

"I am," Reno replied sincerely. "I shouldn't have said that." He kept it short. "I really mean it, yo."

"Oh, really." Elena was suddenly Miss. Skeptic.

"Well, if you don't wanna believe it, I can't do anything." He shrugged. "But orientation's starting in five minutes. Get changed, and for Tseng's sake wash your face. You look like hell."

With that, he left.

Elena threw a cordless mouse at the offending door. Reno had probably meant the apology; but then he had to go and ruin it by going back to business. She hated Reno. She hated everyone. She hated the new recruits.

Resolutely, she opened her closet to change.

* * *

"You are, of course, allowed to remove your name from the roster at any time prior to entering the door to my left. Once you enter that door, you are bound by a life-long contract to serve the Shinra Company and remain in the ranks of the Administrative Sector of the General Research Department, unless there is any reason for you to be removed to another sector. The decision will be made by us."

Elena listened boredly. She was late, but nobody said anything. When she had entered, Arien was already reciting – rote lecture – the agreements set by the Shinra Company.

"Life-long?" One of the recruits asked, a boy with long brown mane. "How long?"

"Until you die," Arien replied simply. "The only exception is when you have a permanent brain damage severe enough to render you incomprehensible or insane. Once you're one of us, you're always one of us." She paused, looked around for questions, then continued. "The Shinra Company will not be held accountable for any deaths, injuries, or lost possessions during the hours and on missions. Any personal items found on the casualty will be returned to the family. We are bound by legal contracts not to disclose any information pertaining to the assignments with anyone but one of the members. Violation of this rule can be treated as treason and will be judged accordingly." She drew a breath. "By entering the door to my left, you agree to abide by and accept all the rules and the consequences of joining the Administrative Sector of the General Research Department. Any who do not may leave now." She frowned, then said, "I mean it. If you don't want to have a chance of dying in the near future, then leave now. If you try to leave the ranks after joining us, we will execute you on the spot. Since the First-in-Command would like to talk to all of you for a few minutes before you get assigned, I suggest you make your mind up very quickly. It is a life-changing decision."

Reno stepped forward. "Alright, freshers," he said cheerfully. "I'm the First-in-Command. I'm not gonna tell you our names because if you suddenly decide not to join and tattle us to some fucker, we'll have to kill you. Oh, we don't mind killing you," Reno grinned nonchalantly, "but the custodians here hate cleaning up guts, and we sure as hell ain't doin' that. Let me just cut the crap and tell you this. There are fifteen of you here, right now. Only two will manage to live through the first year as a Turk."

A gasp echoed throughout the room. "And the rest?" said a quivering voice of a girl.

Reno pointed to the ground. "Six feet under."

A series of gasps echoed throughout the room again.

"So what she said, she ain't fuckin' around. If you think you'll be the one who's gonna be six feet under, then leave now. If you leave after you go through this door, one of us will shoot you in the head." Reno looked around, grinned, then waved them over as he swiped his ID through the slot and unlocked the door. "Welcome to the Turks."


	3. 2: Retribution Begins

Echo - Okay, I won't kill your character. lol. I don't know when she'll come in, but she will make an appearance. I don't know how long she'll be in the story, though. Any other request? I'll try my best (hey, that rhymed)

NarcissisticRiceball - Haha. I tried REALLY HARD on the explanation (Reno's). I'm glad it played off well. I kinda feel sorry for Vince. He has PSYCHO parents, man! Well, at least Reno's a psycho...

Moonshine's Guide - Well... I'd rather not have Rude as my model, say. I don't know about Rufus's future yet. I haven't thought about it. I did get your OC, thanks so much! She will make an appearance.

RaspberryPolarBear - THANK YOU! You fell for it! I tried REALLY hard not to give away that it was a little kid Arie was chasing. I guessed that Reno would be ah... blunt. Heh heh. I tried really hard.

I Less than Three Holland - I can have a godmother. I never actually thought about that, good point. He is a cute little thing. I kinda imagined Reno's kid to be this obnoxious brat, but I decided against it.

GacktLover14 - umm... are you saying how I make stuff realistic? I dunno. I usually write as if I'm transcribing from a movie scene so maybe that's why. I try to keep the story going, so that might be another._

* * *

_

Chapter 2: Retribution Begins

_Life_, Arien thought glumly as she stood, _definitely sucks_.

Vince was still at Ivy's house; Ivy's son, Jay, and Vince happened to be good buddies. When it was time for the small child to go home, he cried and swatted his mother's hands away and threw a major temper tantrum. Ivy had smiled and offered to extend the stay through the night. Vince, with his face crumpled and in tears, glared at his parents with his best Reno-ish glare. Arien sighed, Reno chortled.

Arien sighed and acquiesced to her son. And now, Reno and she were going to pick him up.

The sky was blue, clouds floating happily in the sky. She was warm; it was spring, gingham eyelet shirt perfect for the weather. Her jeans rustled against each leg; hands jammed in the pockets and shifting the weight from one leg to another, she waited for the redhead to come pick her up. Nothing could go wrong today. Reno would come, about five minutes late; he would kiss her and apologize, then they would drive to Ivy's house, pick up Vince, maybe go shopping, then go home. Rude and Elena were on the shift today, so they had an entire day off. It was a family day.

"Good weather."

Arien nearly jumped, then angrily reminded herself to be vigilant. She was supposed to be alert, but the warm weather had lulled her. She turned her head, her raven hair rustling, her blue-green eyes wide open.

"…Jack?"

The man's eyes widened as he stared at her.

Jack McKinnon was formerly Arien's crush in the military academy. Unfortunately, Arien was one of the oddballs and much disliked among boys; she boasted the only full score in Physics and tended to compete against the males, rather than try to be friendly with them. Jack hanged around with girls who were pretty, soft, and not on the career-track, who cared about cooking and make-up. Arien hanged out with the career-track people like herself. When they had graduated, they separated ways; Arien was still in touch with her best friend from the academy, now a military commander in Mideel, and that was it.

Now the past was coming back, with its humiliation and angry eyes. She kept it down. She had a different life now, with an eight-digit paycheck and everything money could buy and more.

"Is that you, Arien?"

Arien smiled, but she felt it was an awkward smile. "It's been long."

He seemed awkward as well, but perhaps that was not because he suddenly had been recalled from the past; dressed in a suit and looking tired, he looked much older than her, although they were born in the same year and graduated from the same class. Arien wondered what on earth she had seen in him. Certainly nothing she was seeing now; a tired man in mid-twenties, working for the bread and managing, but just barely.

"Mind if I smoke?" he asked.

"No."

He pulled out a pack, tapped on it, and pulled on out. "Want one?" he offered.

"No thanks."

He lighted the cigarette, and took a long time to inhale the smoke. "So, what have you been up to?"

"My job."

Jack looked at her, observed her. She was dressed simply. She could almost see his mental calculations, coming out that she was not too rich. She grinned; he was in for a big surprise.

Just then, Reno tooted behind her. "Arie! Let's go!" he yelled. He was not late this time. His silver convertible had the roof down, and she could see his flaming red hair, and his mischievous face. His young face, full of energy. She could see the view from Jack's eyes; a young man, almost a boy, with flaming red hair and bright aquamarine eyes, in an expensive silver convertible, dressed in a good shirt,, tooting and calling at her.

She pulled out her business card from her pocket, offered it as if it were a Royal Flush. "You can call me, if you'd like," she said, her voice calm. "That'd be my ride. See you around."

She slid into the seat. Reno drove away from Jack and her past, speeding her to the present.

"Who was that?"

"My former classmate," she replied.

"Just a classmate?"

"My former crush. I'm so glad he didn't pay attention to me." She laughed. "I gave up on my femininity when he rejected me to hang out with the 'cool people'. If he decided that he liked me, I'd probably ended up being someone boring."

"Are you still one of the 'uncool people', yo?"

"Not with you." She grinned at him. "Your red hair does it."

* * *

Jack McKinnon was confused. It was sheer luck that had made him stand next to Arien DeVir. He remembered her; an awkward girl with large hands and a sharp tongue, she used to have a crush on him. He decided to hang around with the popular crowd and dedicated his energy to that; Arien dedicated herself to studying and soon came to beat him in every single subject. Then they graduated, and he had heard that Arien had been accepted into the Intelligence service. And then that was it.

She had looked so vigorous, so energetic, compared to him. He had hoped that she had some meager living, but even that was not allowed. The red-haired male – probably her boyfriend – seemed to be drowning in gils. And the awkward girl with long hair had turned into a slender woman with large eyes and a pleasing smile. And his wife – one of the 'cool crowd' that he had hanged around with – was just like him, a tired woman with three children and too many worries.

He wondered if his life would have been different if he had accepted the Wutaian girl. Then it hit him like a tidal wave, something that he knew was bizarre, but could not really put his fingers on.

Weren't her eyes brown?

* * *

"So a little retribution is in order?"

"Disliking someone is one thing; complete classification as a lowly specie is another." Arien shrugged; it was late in the night, and Vince was asleep in his room. Arien and Reno were in bed together, Arien reading a file and Reno flipping through the channels.

"Need help with that?"

"I might. Can you stop fiddling with the remote? It's very distracting."

"Then how about this?" Reno tickled her. Arien hit him with a stack of paper in her hand, trying not to giggle.

"Now stop it."

Reno kissed her instead, making her drop the file onto the bed in a white flutter. "And what if I did this?"

"Then we'd be in big trouble tomorrow, because I wouldn't know what I'm doing."

"I can teach you that… maybe after a little exercise."

"I'm getting plenty everyday without your help, Reno. Running around the Edge is strenuous enough."

Reno smirked, knowing that when he would slip the tank-top off her shoulder, she would not protest.

* * *

Arien was in her office, a few days later, when she received a call.

"DeVir." It was from an outer network. She had no recollection of ever seeing the number. But since it had gone through the operator, this caller must know her.

"Arien?"

"Who am I speaking to?" She already knew the answer from the voice.

"It's Jack."

"Oh, hello." She wrote an arrow on the diagram with her pen, sandwiching the phone between her chin and her shoulder. She peeled off a blank note from the stack and scribbled, "possible entry point 2B", then stuck it onto the paper. "How may I help you?"

"Can I talk to you? In private?"

It was nearly lunchtime; she glanced at the clock and deemed that it would not be so weird if she left right now. "Sure."

"I…"

"I'll pick you up. That'll be easier for you to get out." She sounded confident and careless at the same time to Jack, a little cocky, even.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me."

"Okay." He gave the address of the place he worked and the floor, then hang up. The address sounded vaguely familiar, but she dismissed it as some job-related déjà vu. She stood up, grabbed her blue-black uniform jacket and keys. She left her office and knocked on the next door.

"Yeah?" drawled a voice.

"Hey Reno? I'm going out for lunch."

"Going a little early today, eh, babe?" Reno walked out of his office and hugged her. He looked fresh; Arien suspected that all he was doing was playing solitaire on the computer and reading e-mails. "Mm, you smell good." He gently caressed her face with his thumb and kissed her. "God, you turn me on."

Arien rolled her eyes, but her lips curved into a smirk. "Reno, that's enough."

"You do, yo."

"I know that. I'm also hungry." She kissed him back, tasting cigarettes in his mouth. "Do you want me to bring anything?"

"Where you goin'?"

"La Soleil de Bordeaux."

"Bring me back some lunch, babe. And no Dijon crap this time."

"Hey, that's a delicacy," she said, in mock hurt.

"I don't care if it's delicate or not. None of that Dijon crap. And Vince was saying something about shrimps, so you better bring that back to him too."

She laughed. "Alright. No Dijon sauce." She started to walk to the elevator; the Turks were on the eleventh floor and she was not walking eleven flights of stairs. She waved as she stepped into the elevator. He waved back.

Pushing her arms through the uniform jacket and dropping the keys into her pants pocket, she leaned onto the wall as she waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor. When the door opened, she stepped out into the lobby, nodded to the lobby girl sitting behind the front desk, adjusted her tie, and stepped into the sun.

She drove peacefully, and pulled up in the parking lot without any trouble. She ran through the door, flashed her Shinra ID to the lobby person who tried to protest, pushed the elevator button, and crashed into the small cubicle. She walked off the elevator with a false serenity, her tie straight, a plastic smile on her face. She sneaked up behind the working man and said, "Boo!"

"Aaagh!" He turned around, then his face broke into a sad smile.

"How on earth did you get in?"

"Magic," Arien replied. "Let's go."

Jack stood up, grabbed his grey suit coat. "I'll be out for lunch," he said, but she could not see who he was talking to. Then he walked beside her. She could not help feeling excessively crisp and ironed next to him.

"Wow. What do you do for your job?" he asked when he saw her silver convertible. Somehow the Turks ALWAYS had silver convertibles. Arien suspected that it was part of their uniform, just like their sunglasses and their blue-black suits. He sat in the passenger seat as she pressed the button to lower the ceiling.

She drove for a few minutes, parked – illegally – on the street. A female police officer yelled at her.

"Can't you see that it says no parkin…" she stopped as Arien whipped out her ID. "Oh, never mind, miss."

"Thank you," she whispered, then walked up the steps to La Soleil de Bordeaux. "This is where I usually go for lunch." She did not mention that it was one of the priciest restaurants in the city, nor the fact that the prices meant absolutely nothing to her. Reno often ordered dishes here that could have fed the slums for a week without any thought.

Retribution was in order.

Jack hesitated as he followed her into the restaurant, but said nothing. Obviously he had never been here before; otherwise he would pale at the exorbitant prices. A waiter in a black bow-tie came skating toward her. "How many, ma'am?" he asked politely.

"Two."

"This way, ma'am." They were escorted to the usual seats, where the Turks usually occupied – all the way in the back. After taking the drink orders, the waiter left.

Jack opened the menu, and his eyes widened. "Wow. You eat here everyday?" he asked.

"No, not everyday. French makes me sick if I eat it everyday," she said absently, looking through the menu. What should she bring to Reno? He hated anything Dijon; he made sure she knew that. She had to admit that the Dijon sauce did not taste very good. Lamb steak with white sauce and asparagus? Perhaps. She usually ordered baked trout in gooseberry sauce, filled with chestnut and bread crumbs.

"May I have your orders? Any appetizers?" the waiter came back.

"Uh, just romaine lettuce salad with the usual." She looked at her guest. "You?" She nonchalantly added, "Put it on me. I'll pay with the usual."

"No," Jack protested.

"Yes." She fought the urge to say openly that he would never be able to afford the appetizers anyway; in the end she curbed her mouth. "I won't go on the streets because I paid for you."

When she saw that Jack was never going to order anything, she ordered another plate of salad.

"For the main course?"

"Uh, the usual trout for me, and I would like to take back the lamb steak with asparagus, and…"

The phone jingled. She pulled it out from her pocket, then whispered to her companion to order. "Hello?"

"Hey Arien. Do you know where Reno is?" It was Elena.

"No. He's not with me. I'm bringing back his lunch."

"Do you know where I might find him?"

"If I knew, half my trouble will be solved. You might want to try yelling at the top of your lungs that the 11th floor is under attack by naked models. That might summon him to the floor." She heard a sigh and a chortle.

"That won't work," Elena replied after she had stopped laughing. "He's not interested in one-night stands anymore, Arien. You made things worse."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Oh, never mind, here he comes." Then the phone went dead. Assuming that Jack had finished ordering, she nodded the waiter away.

"So… what do you do?" He broke the silence.

"I'm the chief tactician for the Research Department at the Shinra Company," she answered, drinking the water. "You?"

"An engineer at the AtCo."

Arien nearly laughed out loud. That was where she felt the déjà vu! AtCo was a company bought by Rufus, and was thus a division of the Shinra Company. What a fate! This man was her subordinate. She could get him fired. She could ruin his life with one key, one word.

"Arien?"

"Hmm?"

"Who… was that person? With red hair?" He seemed reluctant and eager at once to ask the question.

"Oh, him?" She tried to sound careless. "He's my partner. He's the chief of the Investigation Division of the General Affairs department, so that would make him my boss." She paused, then said, "not so much of a job as yours."

Jack winced. The soft piano music playing in the background suddenly had a jarred sound.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"You mean, buying you lunch? I don't know." She shrugged diffidently. "Certainly not because I still have a crush on you, rest assured."

He eyed her sadly. "You're doing this to spite me, aren't you?"

She eyed him back innocently, spearing the lettuce. "I can spite you from my office, without buying you lunch."

"Then why the hell are you doing this to me?" he demanded.

Arien thought about it. "Trying to renew an old friendship?" she offered as she grinned impishly. "Why? What am I doing to you?"

"Nothing," he stammered.

The main course came; they exchanged light words that had no meanings. Arien learned that Jack had three children and a wife; she offered very little information about herself. Evasion was one of her best skills as a Turk, and she used it without a thought. The jingle of the phone interrupted their light conversation. The ringtone told her that it was Reno.

"Excuse me," she said as she flipped her phone open. "What, Re?"

"Where the hell's my lunch?"

She looked at the watch; it had been only half an hour since she had left. "Jeez, Re, I'm actually eating lunch," she said, chortling. "Why don't you join me if you're that hungry?"

"I can't. Tseng locked me up in here."

"That is all too bad," she said airily. "I'm bringing you back something. Now be a dear and get back to work." Without a further word she hangs up. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's alright."

They continued to eat in silence, and Arien began to regret buying him lunch, when all of a sudden, he blurted out, "Arien, where did we go wrong?"

She stopped the fork and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"We grew… so distant."

Arien was disgusted. He had a magnificent ability to translocate guilt to somewhere in the distance. Or maybe he had a very selective memory. Either way, the way he put on an innocent face was rather appalling. Her mouth twitched, but he seemed not to notice.

"I had my life, you had yours," she answered, while looking up at the wall by her; she never knew there was a painting of a very ugly woman on the wall, and suddenly that interested her. "We weren't that close our last year. You had your friends. I had mine."

"You're holding that against me."

"No, I'm not," she smiled. "I respected your freedom, that's all. I moved on. Pining after someone who will never turn to you is an utter waste of time."

"Am I a waste of time?"

"In a way, yes, you were. You had your popular friends; I had my own friends who really did not qualify as your friends. The rest," she said, shrugging with a knife in her right hand and the fork in her left, "is history, Jack." Seeing the poisoned dart register, she continued. "It was your choice, not mine. I was not going to beg on my knees."

"I… see."

The lunch was concluded in silence.

* * *

Reno broke the silence first. "So, how was it today?"

"My work? Or my retribution?"

"I know what you're doing in the office, yo. I give the damn thing."

Arien grinned, eyed him from the corner of her eye. "That, you do amply. Please stop touching my leg."

"You didn't let him screw you, did you?"

Arien exploded into laughter that had to be muffled with a pillow. "Oh Reno, you're hilarious," she said, gasping for breaths when the laughter had died. "Was that why you were touching my leg?"

"No, I just like to touch it." His eyes danced.

"We're not that far yet. But it's progressing." She grabbed a brush from the small table and began to brush her hair. "He asked me 'where we went wrong' today."

"Maybe he went wrong from the very beginning."

"Oh, cut him some slack." She leaned onto her boyfriend. "Am I seeing some jealousy?"

"Jealousy? Nope." He grinned as he tangled his fingers in her hair. The strands drew raven lines on his slender fingers. "I know I'm someone special for you, even if we break up in three thousand years and you find another dude… I was your first, after all."

"If I break up with you after three thousand years, I'll be a skeleton. I won't have another guy."

"Then maybe it's a good idea not to break up…" he grinned at her. "We can't anyways, not till Vince grows up. And by then, we'd be too lazy to break up."

"Hey Reno?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Do you love me? And Vince?"

Reno stared at her. "That's a retarded question coming from a smart chick," he said seriously. "I don't love you two, but you two are part of my everyday life now. It'd be really weird if you guys weren't here…"

Arien smiled to herself. Reno was too shy, despite his reputation, to tell her straight in the face that he loved her. He wasn't Mr. Slick with her; instead, he was verbally clumsy.

But she took his reply as a yes to her question.


	4. 3: The Bomb

I'm BAACK!

Moonshine's Guide - Jack is a jackass, well said. He actually has a model, a guy in my Physics class that I had a class A crush on a few years ago. He is also a jackass, and his name is Jack. No, I'm not going to seduce him like Arien is (eww). I won't kill your OC, don't worry. I ran out of problems for the stories, so I created a new one. Dun dun dunn! And it's not Reno cheating this time.

Echo - The story's just rolling so we can't have too many OC's coming in. But she will make an appearance, I can promise that! And I won't kill your OC. I'm trying to update, but while the previous two stories came at me like a deer in the headlight at two in the morning, this one it's like I'm looking for a earring with a flashlight. So bear with me.

NarcissisticRiceball - Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Actually, I'm nicer than Arien. There is a model for Jack who is in my class, but I really don't care enough for him to exact any revenge on him. I guessed that Reno would be verbally clumsy because he can be Mr. Slick with one-night-stands, but Arie is the mother of his child, and so much more important.

Raspberry Polar Bear - GREAT review, just as always. Yeah. You didn't see this one coming now, did ya? It's really hard to write this because if Arien went all the way with Jack, then Jack's fate is sealed (AKA killed by Reno), but she has to get somewhere with her revenge. Portraying Vince is difficult as well, because he can't be too dumb but he's still a kid.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - Actually, I was looking for a godmother so good advice. I was going to make Ivy the godmother, but since godparents are responsible for the child in case of parents' death (which may happen, considering Reno and Arien's career) I went for the richer one. Arien doesn't dislike Elena anymore; they're equals, they banter. Oh, and Elena is kinda with Tseng. Hehe.

The Bomb theme is taken from Natasha Bedingfield's "I'm a Bomb"; the song in the very beginning of this chapter is a translation of a song called "Long Version". So, I don't own either of them.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Bomb

Jack McKinnon opened his eyes to the soft radio humming next to him. His wife, Esile, was still sleeping. It was six o'clock, and he would have to get to work. He was too tired. Too tired of life, family, kids, wife, everything. Mundane paperwork and calculations everyday, no change.

The lunch with Arien disturbed him. His equilibrium, the thin façade that he was trying to maintain, was shattered by the woman into pieces. Her manners, her wealth, her liveliness and her perceptiveness were all foreign to him, but he welcomed it. And for some reason, he kept thinking that the way she looked at people was almost saying that for her, only that person existed. And she was single. Or did she say she wasn't? No, she never did. Obviously that wild redhead played some part in her life, but he hoped it wasn't too big.

The radio was softly humming out a tune.

If I'm going to say goodbye  
this is probably the last chance  
but fingers contradicting feelings  
gather your hair

I meant for a single play  
but when I realize it's long version  
a bosanova for two of a kind  
a little heavy love song...

Would his life have been different if he had accepted her? Long ago, her devotion to him seemed stuffy, unwanted; now, he craved for that kind of attention. He had forgotten about her, but in a single hour of play, memories of her came back to him forcefully, unwanted, but still there. Memories that told him now, almost half a decade too late, how much she would have loved him, if he had seized the chance.

He sighed and got up. A single play had indeed become a long version.

* * *

"Costeau, Miaka Vorna," Elena called out. Reno leaned onto the wall in the usual uncaring manner, shirt untucked, tie lost, hair wild. He forced the dress code on others but not to himself, which seemed to be hypocritical for Arien. But then, Reno was Reno, so help her God, and nothing could change him but himself. She could goad, oh yes; but force him to change?

Impossible.

The girl was very young; she looked like she was around twelve years old, but her files indicated that she had just turned twenty. Arien was only a few years older than her, but the young recruit's face was filled with innocence and eagerness that Elena used to hold. Arien frowned slightly; she would either shatter or turn merciless. Which was better, really?

Her white hair danced on the blue-black suit as she moved toward her unit, where two already waited. She had crimson eyes. Arien raised her eyebrow. Mako-treatment generally yielded various shades of blue, but she had never heard of crimson.

"I say, she has weirdest eyes," she heard Reno drawl softly behind her. She turned.

"Do you want a set of those eyes? It'll match your hair nicely."

"I kinda like my eyes. It's nicely artificial." Reno continued to watch the recruits get assigned to his subordinates. He already had his unit; five in total, three males and two females. After three weeks, they would rotate, so after fifteen weeks all the recruits would have gone through all the senior members. Under each Turk they would learn different things; for example, under Elena they would learn basic techniques of bomb dismantling, under Arien computer hacking and tactical necessities, and under Rude the combative junk. Of course, due process most of them would be quite dead. But did Reno care?

Of course not.

Elena finished reading off the list, and the senior Turks retreated with their recruits to their respective offices. Reno was the last to leave; as he watched his girlfriend, his best friend, and his almost-sister-person leave the big conference room with their recruits in tow, he sighed, and pulled out a packet of cigarettes.

And said, "Oh boy."

The first set of questions Arien DeVir had received after giving a general explanation of what they were going to do for the following three weeks was, "Is the commander single?", "Is this a safe job?" and "Will we get our weapons today?".

"No, no, and no," replied the Wutaian, secretly sighing. Was she this stupid when she was first recruited? She doubted it.

"Who's the commander going out with?" asked the girl who had too much make-up on and such permed artificial blonde hair that to Arien it looked like ramen noodles draped over her skull.

"You're talking to his girlfriend," she replied without giving it a much thought, raising an eyebrow and looking disgusted. She headed off further comments by saying, "And no, the commander is currently too preoccupied to find himself an amusement, so he just sticks with me. Please leave your personal sentiments and comments until after hours."

"What if I didn't?" challenged the girl.

"Then I'll just shoot you so you'll shut up."

The girl shut up without Arien's help.

There were three females and two males; the blonde noodlehead's name was Andora, and then there was Miaka. The males' names were Vered, Raine and Chris. Vered seemed to be the wily, smart-ass type; Chris was shy, and Raine seemed too hyper to survive. She wondered how many would survive. Andora was definitely dead; she personally had a doubt that maybe Andora's existence in the Turk roster was one big mistake. Or maybe she used the Scarlet tactic and slept her way up.

After getting their names, she stood in front of them. "Okay, listen up," she said. "My name is Arien, but you will call me 'ma'am' due to complications that name exposure can bring up. You will be working with me for three weeks, and during that time you will learn the basics of computer hacking and organizing possible assignments, and of course, field work. How many of you are from any kind of military-related careers? For example, Intelligence?"

Vered's hand went up.

"Okay, so you'll be the team leader, and you will be leading the team where I deem that the tasks are small enough for you so I can pay attention to other things. Got that?"

The heads nodded.

"Oh, and another thing. I'll say this so you won't make the mistake, because Commander will just kill you if you do make this mistake." She paused for drama, then continued. "Seniors' words are absolute, as well as the Presidents. Don't even ask how high when one of us tells you to jump. You just jump, and keep on jumping until one of us says to stop. Oh, and don't ever argue with us. Arguing can get you killed. If we change our plans, then follow the new plan. I don't care if it's impossible or not. Any questions?"

"When do we get our weapons?" asked Raine.

"The chief weapons technician will be coming in this afternoon to fit all of you with necessary weapons. They'll be ready within an hour. You can take your pick. A lot of us use guns, some use EMR, and then there are oddities like me. I use double gunblades. But it's whatever suits you. Pick the one that you know best. Unless you already have a weapon," she replied to Vered's eager and unasked question. "You will ask for rounds to the technician. Any questions?"

The answer was no.

"Okay. Go to the office next door. That's Reno's. You are all supposed to meet him before you're dismissed for the day. Report to my office at 800 hours sharp tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

After the young rookies had left, she left her office to go to the private lounge, where Elena was already slumped into a chair.

"Was I that dumb?" was the first question out of Elena's mouth. "When I was a rookie?"

"No," Arien replied, helping herself with coffee. "We had more common sense than that, I must say. Why? What makes you say that?"

"One of the girls asked if Reno was free. I said no."

Arien exploded into laughter. "Is he really that attractive?" she asked to no one in particular, since she knew that Elena just saw him as an entity which was created to annoy her to no end. "I got the same question from a girl who looks like she draped noodles on her head."

"I don't know. I don't see what's so attractive about him – no offense intended, Arien – and I don't see how they passed the tests. Oh well." Elena sat straighter, removing her blonde hair from her face. "How's my godchild?" Elena was Vince's godmother, since Arien had decided that Elena would be a better candidate for Vince's guardian in case of her – or Reno's – death than Ivana, who already was having a handful with her own offsprings. Elena took the task gladly, much to Reno's dismay.

"He's attending preschool. He got bored with my company. He wants friends around his age."

"Isn't Reno mentally around his age?"

"Good one, but Reno has a slight advantage over Vince with his evildoings. He is considerably bigger than his son."

The two women's laughter mixed and reverberated off the walls like bells. Tseng, who heard the loud laughter on the way to Elena's office for non-job-related purposes, was surprised that such cold-hearted killers as they could laugh like innocent girls.

* * *

Trrr, trrr.

-DeVir speaking.

-Hey, yo.

-Reno, why are you using the phone? I'm in the office next to you.

-I'm too damn lazy and too sexy to walk over to your office.

-Too sexy?

-Yah. Heard about the girls' inquiries. Were they really asking if I was single, yo?

-Yes. Everyone said no.

-Damn.

-Excuse me?

-Nothing, babe. Love ya. (laughter) Have I ever told you that just hearing your voice turns me on?

-No, and I didn't need to know that. Now I can't speak without dire consequences.

-Me getting turned on is not a dire consequence. It's for your benefit, damn it.

-I highly doubt that.

Click

* * *

Trrr, trrr.

-DeVir.

-This is Rufus. Send up the recruits to my office. Oh, and I need to talk to you.

-Roger that, sir.

Click

* * *

Trrr, trrr.

-DeVir.

-Hey.

-Hello, Jack. How may I help you?

-You sound distant. Are you okay? Hey, listen. Can I see you tomorrow around lunch? Is that alright?

-(flipping through the schedule book) I think so. When and where?

-Town center, around 12:30?

-Alright. See you then.

Click

* * *

The restaurant had a very private cubicle that the Turks liked. Elena and Rude sat on one side of the table, Reno and Arien on the other. They toasted for the possible deaths of the stupid recruits. The food was brought in.

"Yey, food!" Reno exclaimed. "I'm starving." Elena watched in amazement as Reno started to eat.

"I honestly don't know how you can shovel that much crap into your system. Someday your body is going to have an overload and break down, you know," Elena said sourly.

"Arien has turned into a nutrition police. I need a break once in a while. Hey, more beer here!" He yelled at the waitress.

"Are you going to indulge in young recruited fans of yours?"

"Arie's also a morality police. So nope, can't do."

Rude snorted as he sliced a piece of steak and chewed on it.

"How are the recruits?"

"Dumb," was Rude's reply.

"Silly." Elena rolled her eyes that accompanied her response.

"Fucking goddamn idiots!" Reno slammed the fist on the table, making the china and silverware rattle. "Oh well. Maybe every one of them would die by the end of the year. They're real dumbasses, yo."

"If Reno thinks they're dumb, they must be really dumb. Wow." Arien grinned.

"Have you told Vince about his future yet?" Elena asked, switching the subject.

"Yeah," came back Reno's reply through a mouthful of potatoes. "He's really not that interested in all the dough he's gonna get, unfortunately. That kid doesn't know what's good for him."

"He asked if his hair was going to turn blond if he took Uncle Rufus' job," Arien added. "He also asked why his hair was brown while Reno's was red. Then he wondered when his is going to turn red, and then commented that he would like blue hair better."

"He'll come to see the truth of it," Rude commented.

"That red hair rocks?"

"No, that natural hair color is the best."

"How can you say that, Rude? You goddamn fuckin' hypocrite! Nobody KNOWS your hair color! You don' have hair, Baldy!"

"And the profanity parade marches on," Elena noted.

"I can't swear around my kid. Now is the time to spit them out."

"While we're trying to enjoy lunch?"

"Damn right."

"How can you live with this?" Elena asked Arien.

"With infinite amount of patience."

"You forgot love," Reno reminded cheerfully. "So what's up with Rufus' talk? Did he ask for sexual favors or something?"

"No, thank Shiva." Arien rolled her eyes. "This dude has been spilling some information to our rival company. I'm supposed to punish him."

"With whips and chains?"

"I'll keep that for you only."

The table exploded into laughter. "Who's the unlucky boy?" Elena asked.

"None other than my revenge target." She winked mischievously at Reno, who spat out the potato and began to cough, while glaring at her. "Can fate deal me a better hand?"

* * *

After eating dinner together and hearing Vincent's small adventures of the day, the parents tucked the small infant into his bed.

"Good night, darling," she said, hugging her son as he extended his short arms for a hug. "Have good dreams."

Reno hugged his son as well. Arien turned on the small lamp by the small bed, and smiled as Vincent watched the horses and the dragons twirl in soft colors on the wall. Then the two left the room, keeping the door slightly open.

"Yeah, about tomorrow's assignment," Reno said as he sank into the sofa, "it's gonna be a bugger."

"The raid?"

"Yeah."

"I think half the recruits are gone by next week," Arien said as she opened her laptop. "This mission's their first one, and it's a pretty difficult one. And this girl in my unit isn't helping."

"Which one?"

"The noodlehead."

Reno shuffled through the sheaf of papers, then pulled up her unit assignments. "This one?"

"Yup."

"How is this mission difficult?"

Arien stopped her fingers from twirling on the keyboard, and looked at him squarely. "Let's just say that this building is a tough one to seduce."

"The building is top security?"

"It's Code AA."

Reno's eyes widened. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes."

"Ah, shit." He frowned. "Alright. We'll deploy Elena's and mine, we'll reassign them so we each get two or three, and we'll leave your unit and Rude's behind. That way we won't wipe out the entire class. Except that we'll have to reassign the people if the units get wiped."

Arien did not wish to have to give away her new recruits or remember new names. "How about this? We take two from each unit, one experienced and one inexperienced recruit."

"Erm…" Reno thought for a moment. "Maybe that's better. They should learn to team up. One female and one male, though."

"Why a female and a male?"

"Because we think differently, Arie."

"I didn't know males had the ability to think."

"Ouch." Reno grinned. "We can think. We just don't think with our brains that often when we're around chicks. We tend to think with the brain below."

"I noticed." She continued to work on her laptop. "Isn't that going to be hazardous?"

"That's why we have chicks to keep the dudes in check."

"How goes with your boy toy, yo?"

"Jack isn't my toy." She clicked her laptop shut, then scooted over next to him after placing the laptop on the coffee table. "It's my revenge."

"Was he that much of an asshole?"

"Let's just say, for his safety, that he treated me like some piece of junk." She shrugged. "But don't go beat him up, okay?"

"…kay," Reno replied, and Arien could only hope that he actually meant it.

* * *

The next day was a peaceful day except for the lunch, which turned out to be something that nearly went out of control.

"Hey Jack," she greeted as she approached the man. Then she asked gently, "What's wrong?"

Jack eyed her. She was dressed for comfort and for utility; the dark colored slacks, and her white shirt, as well as her sunglasses and her jacket told everything. But for some odd reason, it looked oddly sexy on her. As if she knew that she looked good with that sterile, business style. She was like a bomb, filled to the brim with energy with no safety switch. One wrong move, goodbye. Only those with steady hands may approach, thank you very much. Go beyond a point, no coming back. No insurance provided.

She lowered her sunglasses, tilted her head downward, and looked at him from the top of the sunglasses. "Yoohoo, anyone in there?"

"Uh, yeah." Jack responded absently. "Sorry."

"Spacey?"

"Kinda."

"Okay. Can't have you spacing on me. I'm not exactly the one to be having a nice afternoon tea. I gotta get back to the office around 1:30."

"Okay." He paused. "Can we walk?"

"Sure."

They began to walk, Jack's gait tired and Arien's stride jaunt. When they had proceeded for about a minute, Jack asked Arien without looking at her, "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Doing what?" She looked into the window of the shop, where the long jacket was displayed.

"You damn well know what you're doing."

"No, actually, I don't. Inform me."

Jack turned his head to the left, looked at her. With sunglasses on her nose, her hair straight and swishing, her body clad in a fitted suit, she looked professional, clean-cut and chic. He suddenly had an image of her naked and wet from a shower in his mind, and shook his head to drive the image away. The image refused to budge.

"You're scrambling my mind."

"Finally hitting puberty? I thought you were well passed that, Jack."

"I never get passed puberty. I always go back to sixteen when…"

"When?"

"When I see you."

Arien suddenly had a strange déjà vu. Reno had said the same thing.

"And that's my fault?"

"for Leviathan's sake, Arien, stop messing with my mind!" Jack shouted suddenly. "Ever since I saw you again, my life's getting screwed up. I can't concentrate on anything, for fuck's sake. Holy, Arien, what do you want?"

"What do I want? Aren't we discussing what you want? Isn't that why we're doing this?"

"Just answer the goddamn question."

"Okay." She shot a sideway glance. "I just want to see an old friend from the academy days. I'm not trying to have you fall madly in love with me, I already got a rejection slip during the school, remember?"

"I can't just be friends." He admitted, rather to himself.

"What?"

"Do you know what I'm dying to do, Arien?"

She raised an eyebrow, trying not to grin.

"I'm not a psychic."

"This." He suddenly pushed her against a brick wall and enveloped her mouth with his. She pretended to struggle, being careful not to actually push him away. As a Turk, she probably could have thrown him across the street, but he didn't need to know her profession. The kiss was frantic and long, and she absently wondered if Vincent was doing okay in the preschool.

Jack was surprised to find her mouth tasting sweet. Her hair had an intoxicating fragrance which must have come from the shampoo she was using. Her body was warm and lithe, and he could not help noticing that her waist was very slim, and that her skin was very smooth. Despite her many flaws - such as her biting sarcasm, her expressions, and her un-feminine aggressiveness - whoever was going to score her was a pretty lucky guy. She was struggling, but he easily overcame her. He inserted his right hand into her hair, holding her head in place, and his left on her waist, devouring her mouth with a sudden fervor.

_Is he trying to swallow me or something?_ She thought. _Ew. Reno's a much better kisser, but then he probably practices with a pillow_. She fought the urge to giggle hysterically at that thought.

"We can't do this," she said finally, trying to form coherent words against Jack's thin lips. "You have a wife and children. Don't betray them for me."

"I'm not going to betray myself. Let's just enjoy this."

_Why the hell is this bastard automatically assuming that I'm enjoying this?_

She reluctantly returned the kiss, promising herself to be engaged in a long kissing session after going back home with her real boyfriend. Reno would gladly kiss her expertly, with a very sly grin on his face; he would probably refuse at first.

_Poor guy. What is he getting himself into?_


	5. 4: Girls and Boys

NarcissisticRiceball - I love Physics, but I just got an F on a test o . I decided that Newton should definitely go to hell. He's a sinner. He made a lot of people's lives miserable. Did you know that he dumped his girlfriend, who then wisely married someone else? Smart girl.

RaspberryPolarBear - Uh, Arien did NOT enjoy the kiss, let me just tell you that. Forced kisses might sound romantic, but it's cool ONLY IF the GUY IS SOMEONE YOU LIKE! Hey, I definitely don't mind my boyfriend forcing a kiss on me (oh wait, I'd like it, so it's not forced)... but Arien is grossed out. Ew. Ivy has officially become the second mother for Vince, btw.

GacktLover14 - Your rival (Andora) is definitely in for a tumultous fate. Your character is going to live, so no worries there. I hope the character is just as you imagined; it's hard, because your mental image of Arien is probably different from mine. Oh well. I tried! she's going to make another entrance soon.

Moonshine's Guide - I hate Jack (the real one). He's REALLY annoying now. I don't know why I used to like him, because now I hate him. he has this really annoying habit of saying "Oh jeez" that makes me want to punch him in the face. And he used to be really cute, but now he's not.

RiNi RaCeR - Jack... hmm, I never actually thought of him as obese, mainly because the real one is skinny as a stick. But I still hate both of them. I don't mind people disliking me, because people do have that right, but ranking people just isn't the way to go. Go Arien! Wrath, thy name is woman.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - I LOVE blonde hair, I think they're really pretty color (I have dark hair) but those kinds who have artificially tanned skin and cakes their faces in make-up just bugs me. Isn't blonde pretty enough? Dunno. I just have things against artificial anything (tan, hair, e.t.c.). Andora is going to die.

Echo - Michele is going to appear in the next chapter. She (along with Miaka) are going to play big parts in this story, along with Ivy, as usual. Miaka's going to be on Arien's side, but I'm not sure about Michele. I'm running out of awesome villains, since I can't use Sephiroth anymore. He's dead, and he is going to stay dead.

Kyae Sohma - welcome to the series, and thanks for reading BOTH of them! they're long, so I'm really thankful. I'm not that good of a writer, I hate reading the stuff I wrote three months later... and I did get a huge writer's block, because this fic is still half-baked. I don't want too much action or romance scenes, so it took time to balance it out.

Insanity - Hey, as far as you're here occasionally, I don't care. Thanks for the cheer! The block is gone now, thanks to completely off-genre stuff I've been reading. I HAVE to finish this fic - I'm sure everyone (and myself included) wants to see where this couple is going to end up (hopefully not in a ditch).

Everynone else who kept me in their thoughts or sent me cheers, thanks so much! You guys are actually keeping me up with this... I would have abandoned this thing long ago if not for you.

* * *

Chapter 4: Girls and Boys 

"She did WHAT?"

"I swear to God, Reno! I saw her kissing a guy!"

Renaldo Miller was ready to shoot Elena, blast her to the moon, blow her into smithereens. Just then, Arien walked in the door, looking disgusted.

"Oh, so you waltz in innocently, huh?"

Arien stared at him. "I'm really not in the mood to discuss anything unless you're offering a kiss of unbridled passion, Reno. So scoot."

Reno slapped her. Really hard.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

Arien threw her arms in the air. "Look, I just got kissed and got my face sucked by a guy who turned me down years ago, okay! I need to go wash my mouth out." She made a face. "So unless you're trying to get rid of this traumatic experience by kissing me like there's no tomorrow, just scoot off. I'm in a very mad mood." With that, she marched off to the bathroom, holding a large bottle of Listerine that she had purchased on the way back to her office.

Rude began to chuckle as Reno watched her storm off with a very blank expression on his face. Reno whirled, and glared at his buddy.

"Rude, don't even start. YOU need to get laid, virgin."

The chuckle stopped as the faucet began to run.

* * *

Arien was washing her mouth out for the seventeenth time when she felt a warm pair of arms around her shoulders. She looked into the mirror, and saw the red hair beside her neck, the pale blue eyes. 

"May I help you?" She asked coldly.

"Turn around," he said. She placed the cup on the sink and slowly turned.

"I'm sorry I slapped you like that, Arie. You didn't deserve it."

"Actually… I did." She stared into his blue eyes. "I could have thrown him across the street. I didn't. I was selfish. I was focused on my own revenge first, not you, and that…" she touched his nose. "Is not the way it's supposed to be."

"Nah, you were doing your job."

"Still…" Her word faded away as Arien ran out of things to say.

Reno looked into her eyes, saw honesty and candidness in them. And a little guilt. He slowly felt his mouth touch hers, a tentative touch, a small, meek one, as if his lips were a small bird. She returned the kiss with equal fragility and delicacy, her look still bewildered and almost like a small child.

"Feeling better?" Reno finally asked when they broke the contact. She leaned onto him and nodded. He gently touched her hair, feeling the silky strands.

"Should we tell Vince about this?" Arien asked into his shirt.

Reno thought about it for a second. "No," he said finally. "Not yet."

* * *

Regardless of Reno's attempt to placate the woman throughout the day, Arien was still cranky when she clocked out at two o'clock to pick Vincent up. 

"Get changed before I come back," Reno told her as she got in her car.

"Why?" She asked, looking through her pockets to find her keys.

"I'm taking you out tonight. We're not going to bed with you cranky."

Arien stopped her hands, raised her eyebrows. "I am not going to leave Vincent alone in the house."

"Don't you remember? He's getting a check-up from five. He won't be back till tomorrow morning, and don't explode at me, yo!" Reno hastily scooted back as Arien's eyes showed a brief flash of sadness that turned into anger. The fact that Vincent was an anomaly with his green eyes and possible effects of having mutated parents still hurt the young mother, and it tended to be a touchy subject.

"Fine," she snapped. Then she slammed the door – hard – and drove off with such recklessness for her that Reno wondered if she was going through PMS. Such was the woman that he had fallen for, and he sometimes wondered what he had done to deserve such fate.

When the young commander came back, Reno found Arien lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He took the jacket off, and she swung her legs and hopped off the bed. Automatically her hands went to the discarded jacket, the shirt, and the slacks. Those hands moved, hanging the clothes so it will not wrinkle.

Shirtless and now in jeans, he kissed her as she moved over to hang the clothes in the closet. "Miss Vince?"

Arien nodded.

"Well, it's just a regular check-up. He's used to it."

Arien said nothing.

"We can't stay there, Arie. We got kicked out the first time, remember?"

She shrugged, but pulled out a black shirt, and tossed it on the bed. He noticed traces of tears on her face. All of a sudden he wanted to kiss her traces off her face. He wanted her to be smiling and laughing. In all the truth, he wanted her to quit being a Turk as well. He wanted her to stay at home, take care of the child. She shod off all signs of femininity during the work hours. He hated it.

"Come on," he said, yanking her hand. "Sitting around and crying won't do any good, and I wanna see you with a smile."

Her lips curved, but it was not a smile. She looked tired, he thought. He fought the urge to tell her to quit her job, become a mother for the child and a wife for him.

Or was she falling for that bastard? He had a small seed of doubt. Women never changed… ever. They were inert creatures, creatures of habit, generally resenting change. And Arien had once loved that undeserving twit. If her heart never left that unappreciative bastard, then he would let her go. But if something was forced on her – not just a kiss, but something more drastic – Reno was really going to kill him. She was his, damn it. No one else's.

"Arie."

She looked up.

"If you don't wanna go, just say so. But I do want to take you out. We've been mommy and daddy for a while, not a guy and a girl. Come on. Parenting doesn't mean relationships die."

"So is this a date?"

"Maybe." He winked at her mischievously. "We can have more fun when we come back, babe."

* * *

Reno loved to watch Arien put make-up on. As rare as it was, he liked to watch the woman turn herself into someone else. Depending on the color and the techniques, she turned herself into an innocent young woman, a sharp businesswoman, a mysterious woman with heavy-lidded eyes. He liked the bare, naked Arien the best, but there was a different sense when she was putting make-up on. He watched as she gently applied the eye make-up, lipstick, and blush. 

"Remember our first date?" he asked as she sucked in her cheeks to apply the soft pink on her pale cheeks.

"Yes. You kissed my lipstick off, and I dropped the lipstick somewhere in the car seat when you were on top of me."

"Your mouth is sexy as hell."

Arien burst out laughing. "A very late apology for the loss of the lipstick?"

"Just stating a fact, yo. I love your mouth so much I wanna kiss it all the time." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her right beside the mouth. "My girl is a pretty girl, the prettiest in the world."

"Not so," she said. "There are more beautiful women than me."

"I haven't slept with them, so they don't count."

"Then there are very few women in the world, half of them were men… yaah!" Arien yelped as Reno pulled her hair. "Oww," she said, rubbing her scalp.

"Revenge." He stood up. "Hey Arie?"

"Hmm?" She smacked her lips in front of the mirror.

"Do you love me?"

"That's a silly question. I don't love you, Re, even though I gave you my virginity and I had your kid, who turns out to be exactly what I dreaded."

"No, really."

"Ask me right before I die and I might be able to answer." Arien stood up. Her collarbone was visible with the open-neck green sweater. Tonight, she was not a mother, nor a Turk, nor his coworker. She was just Arien, just a woman he lived with. He smiled at her, still wondering faintly if she was completely his.

* * *

Arien woke up with a loud knock on the door. Rubbing her sleepy eyes and carefully removing Reno's arm draped over her waist, she threw on a random shirt that was draped on the chair and boxer shorts. She stood still for a second, mourning the fact that their peaceful morning was disrupted by whoever was at the door. She had a distinct feeling that the shirt did not belong to her, but to a very naked man still in bed. The sleeves were too long for her, for instance. Regardless, she was leaving the bedroom when Reno woke up with a groan. 

"Oh man, my hip…" he warbled. "I'm getting old."

"You certainly were energetic last night, Reno. Too vigorous for a man in his twenties."

"Shut up." Reno sat up in the bed. He grabbed a sweater, then wore a strange expression. "This sweater ain't mine."

"I think I'm wearing your shirt," Arien replied off-handedly. She sniffed the cloth. "Yep, I am. It smells of cologne and cigarettes."

"Sexy," came back the sleepy reply. "Who the hell is knocking on the door?"

"Like I'd know."

Reno pulled on jeans and Arien's green boat-neck sweater which showed off her shoulders but looked ridiculous on him. The sleeve, which was supposed to be to her forearm, only came to his elbow.

"You look like a Chrismas tree," Arien noted.

"Hohoho! Merry Christmas," Reno replied sarcastically, then slid between Arien and the door and ran down the stairs. Arien followed, still in Reno's shirt. Her eyes widened when she saw the very familiar yellow head, and Reno's exclamation.

"What. The. FUCK are you doing here?" He shouted. Arien could imagine what Andora was seeing; her object of obsession in an obviously female green sweater and tight jeans, hair in a worse mess than usual, with her boss in a male shirt and dangerously short boxers behind him, buttons done up wrong. Boxers that obviously did not belong to her. Oh well.

"Sir…!" Andora's eyes widened. "You… your…"

"She's my girlfriend." Reno understood everything right away. "And yeah, what you're thinkin' is hitting the bull's eye."

"I told you," Arien said softly behind her curtain of raven hair.

"Sir…"

"Go home, Ferrer," Reno said tiredly. "I'm dead tired and I'm not gonna argue."

"Sir!" Andora's eyes filled with tears. Arien secretly noted that she should really use waterproof make-up, if the noodlehead was so intent on caking her face with it. She looked like she was crying black tears, and it had a very freaky effect. She was still thinking when Reno took a step forward, grabbed the young woman, and kissed her brutally.

"There. Merry Christmas." Reno spat out blood. "Now go home, and don't bother me again. I have better shit to do." He slammed the door in her face.

He turned and saw Arien gaping.

"What?"

"I'm so glad you didn't do that to me," Arien said truthfully.

"I wanted to get into your pants. I don't wanna get into hers."

Arien's laughter rocked the house. "She wants to get into yours."

"My reputation still holds." He shrugged. "When are ya gonna get out of my shirt?"

"I don't know. When are you going to get out of my sweater?"

"I don't think I will," Reno said, touching the knitted material. "This thing is warm."

"Reno, you're going to stretch it out!"

The redhead was not listening. "Hey, when's breakfast?" he asked. The response was a swift kick, which he dodged.

* * *

The raid was coming up faster than Arien could recognize. Days passed in preparation, and suddenly the Turks found themselves briefing the selected units on the upcoming mission. The rookies looked unsure, a little afraid. _Good_, Arien thought. _A little fear would make then cautious. We don't really see Reno's too often_. Despite her long-term relationship with him, the woman had still not yet understood the redhead completely. 

She stood in front of the two junior Turks – Vered, the team captain, and Andora, whom she secretly hoped would see the reality of her career and straighten up, or die. It sounded cruel, but Arien really hoped that she would find the ramen noodlehead dead by the next morning. And possibly mutilated and hacked into pieces, if her preference went through. She really hated the blonde.

"Andora, are you listening to me? I said, no make-up," Arien repeated herself tiredly. "Alright. I'm sure you would know, but the mako-treatment stimulated your cells enough so that it went through nuclear mutation. That is, we are no longer carbon-based creatures." She was tired of repeating this information by now. "All mako-treated specimens went through a cellular level mutation, with the cells absorbing the high energy from the mako exposure and going through atomic level mutations. This means that we are now silicate-based beings. Thus, we heal faster, we move faster, and we have enhanced abilities, such as the nightvision, extreme senses of hearing, smelling, and so on. On the downside, we are mostly sterile." She slapped the desktop angrily. "Andora! Are you listening?"

"Yes," came back the snide reply. Arien fought the urge to yank her yellow hair as hard as she could.

"Alright. What also killed us the most is that we rely too much on our silicate-based advantages. We're still human. Don't get too cocky. Any questions?" Not waiting for an answer, she said, "Alright. It'll be Elena and me today, so Reno and Rude will be staying behind."

Vered followed her nervously, which was good. He had enough experience to estimate the level he was going to have to go at. Andora, on the other hand, kept touching her hair. Arien whirled.

"If you keep touching your hair, Andora, I will shave it off," she said vehemently. "I mean it."

Andora's hand moved away from the banana yellow strands.

"Okay," she said, sounding careless. "Get ready. Meet me back here in an hour."

When she walked into the conference room, Elena was slumped in the chair again. She sat up when she saw her colleague. "They're going to die," she said lamely.

"I should hope so." The raven-haired woman replied blithely.

"You _hope_ so?"

"Yes. If they carried on like this, they might get _us_ killed." She sat down in a chair. "Nobody asked them to join us. They came by themselves. And if they're incapable, well, I don't want to die yet."

"I see that you dearly love your recruits," Elena noted.

"Inability to learn should be a sin," Arien said absently. "How's Tseng?"

"Busy," Elena replied mournfully. "Too busy for me to…"

"Ladies, stop the girl talk," came Reno's snide voice from the doorway. "It's time."


	6. 5: Guilty Moments

Chapter 5: Guilty Moments

By the morning, one from Elena's group was dead. The five came back, a little depressed, but the mission was successful.

As Vered drove, Arien was silent. "What's wrong?" Elena asked. Arien turned from the front seat.

"We should have had more people," she said pointedly. "Six was too few."

"Well, our mission was successful," Elena said.

"But barely." Arien stretched. "Oh well. I'm off from fieldwork for a while."

Andora opened her mouth to say something, but a glare from Elena shut her up. Arien rested her head on the seat tiredly.

The rest of the drive was silent. Arien looked at the stack of papers in her hands sadly. It was won at the cost of two lives.

For her, each paper was extremely expensive.

* * *

"Mommy," Vincent said quietly. "Mommy, what's wrong? Mommy?" 

"I'm fine," she said tiredly, trying to cheer up. Vincent had come back from the check-up, with the usual results – apart from the abnormal amount of mako in the blood, which was ordinary for anyone who had received mako treatment, he was fine. His body was silicate-based as the test results were concerned. His sterility was not up to debate at the moment. But his reflexes were good, as well as his senses. Arien remembered the moment when she had woken up from the treatment, and groaning in pain as five senses seemed to attack her. She was used to it now – the variations of colors, the smell, the nightvision, the hearing. But when she had first acquired it, she had severe headache for days. For Vince, however… what did he see with those eyes?

"Where's your father?" Arien asked the child.

"I don't know," Vince scowled. "Daddy hit me."

Arien knew that Vince had probably done something again, and had earned the smack as a punishment. Reno only disciplined when it was absolutely necessary. She placed the small child on her lap. "Darling, what did you do?" she asked gently.

"Nothing!"

Arien stared into Vincent's eyes. This trick did not work with Reno anymore, but it still worked with Reno Jr.

"Okay, I typed on Daddy's computer."

"You know you're not supposed to do that."

"But…"

"No buts." She smiled at him. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes!"

"Okay." She made Vince stand up – he was getting heavy – and said, "Go and call Father, darling."

* * *

Reno sensed Arien's sad mood right away. He had changed; he was more sensitive with people's moods. As Arien slid in between the sheets, Reno put down the file and asked, "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing," she said, closing her eyes and leaning onto Reno's shoulder. Her white tank top was almost silvery, and her raven hair fell onto the shoulders in thick strands.

"Not nothing," Reno said. "I know somethin's bugging you. Come on. Out with it. Is it the two that died?'

"Partly." She felt his arm snake around her shoulders. "If we had more people, they might not have died."

"You're letting that bug you?"

"Yes."

Reno sighed. Maybe it was time to say what was on his mind. Maybe not. But he had to give a try.

"Arie?"

"Yes?" She looked tired… weary.

"Maybe you should become a wife and a mother. Ever thought about that?"

Instead of exploding at him, she sighed. "You mean, you want me to quit my job?"

"Well… uhh, yeah."

"I have," Arien replied. "I can do both, I think. I just…"

"Just what?"

"I just need time to think."

* * *

"You're gonna stay home?" Reno asked in the morning, as he was getting ready to leave. 

"I think so. I need a break." Arien kissed him back.

"You're getting senile, yo."

"Just like you." She smiled, fixing Vincent's coat collar. "Don't pull anyone's hair, Vince."

"I don't do that, Mommy!"

"Oh, don't pull anyone's hair, Reno."

"I don't do that."

"Oh sure." Arien smiled. "I might go out, Reno. Call me on my cell."

"Why you goin' out?"

"I can't just forget about Rufus' mission."

"Oh." Arien saw a slight frown etched into Reno's face, but he said nothing. The door slammed.

Arien sat into the sofa and took a deep breath. It had been a while since she had this silence of the house all to herself. This household was loud with laughter and occasional shouts. Reno also tended to be loud anywhere. She took joy in the calm silence of the house.

It had only been a few minutes when her cell phone rang. She groaned, and went through her bag. She checked her caller-ID; Reno was so predictable. "Hello?"

"Can you check the network to see if there's anyone by the name of Tsubasa?"

"Er, okay." She paused as she pulled out her laptop. "Why?"

"She's annoying the hell outta me."

"That's it?"

"Isn't that enough? I'm gonna find a way to let her know how I feel, yo." With that retort, the phone died. Arien sighed, not even bothering to search. Why was Reno trying to use the network to wreak out havoc? She was tired. She was tired of pulling up this ridiculous charade with Jack, tired of being in conspiracies, her odd powers, and most of all, with herself. She sat there, a blank screen grinning at her from her laptop on her knees.

Time passed peacefully for her, who took a nap. She was making a simple lunch for herself when she heard the faint ring of the office phone. Someone must be calling her office; she had turned on the call forward when she last left the office. Cutting the sandwiches, she picked up the phone and turned it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Arien?"

The low voice that she had loved long before was now annoying to her. For a moment she thought about shooting a gun right next to the phone then hanging up. She definitely did not want this call, not today, when she was on a break.

"Hello, Jack."

"Hey, listen," he said breathlessly. "I'm off today, so I was wondering if you'd want to go somewhere with me."

"Your family?"

"They don't know that I'm off." He sounded guilty about it.

"Huh." She leaned on the counter. Should she go? Her mind told her no, but if she did this she'd be getting somewhere with this mission without wasting her time.

"Okay," she replied slowly. "Can you meet me at the library in half an hour?"

"Uh, sure."

"Okay. See you." Without waiting, she hit disconnect. She grabbed the books on the coffee table – picture books and thin paperbacks that Vince had read before he went to bed. She'd have to return these today. The colorful pictures reminded her of the grey sky.

Placing the books on the kitchen counter, she went into the bedroom to change. She brushed her long raven hair; she put on her watch, and stretched languidly in her pink sweater. After pulling on a different pair of jeans, she fastened the watch around her wrist. Hitching up her bag on her shoulder, she grabbed the books from the coffee table, and left the house.

The walk to the library was nothing out of ordinary. She waited patiently behind the queue, and smiled at Michele as she checked in the books.

"How's your son?" the librarian asked, shaking her brown-highlighted black hair out of her face.

"He's fine."

"He's adorable," she said affably.

"He's the cause of most of my headaches."

Michele laughed. "Bring him in next time."

"I will," Arien replied. "Bye."

"Bye."

She frowned as she left, wondering why Michele was so… attached to Vincent. But then, maybe to others' eyes he was an adorable boy. And how did Reno get to know her? Maybe she was just being paranoid; Turks did tend to see shadows where there were none. She shrugged it off, and kept on walking.

She saw Jack a few moments after he saw her. She nearly walked right past him.

"Hey," he said quietly. Nothing of that lust remained in his face. She slowly let down her guard, down but still around to put it up in need.

Silence ensued. Finally Jack broke it. "I never knew your eyes were so blue."

Arien smiled slightly. "They're blue."

"I thought they were brown."

Arien did not reply. She knew why Jack was so careful not to even physically get near her. All the better. She knew exactly what wanted to do, and she was going to deny him. She was a Turk, a person with an abnormally low level of morals, but she was not going to be that immoral.

"Arien?"

She smiled at him again, an empty smile. A smile that had no meaning to it. This man was not the person who would be her best friend, her partner, her companion for life. He was just a man, nothing else. She smiled again. Just the curve of the lips. Her mind wandered, but something bugged her irritably, like a sore that refused to go away.

Did Esile know of their trysts?

* * *

"Arie," Reno said one day, "You look like you're in a momentous amount of pain." 

"I am," she replied.

"Why?"

Arien shook her head. "Jack is technically cheating on Esile with me, right?"

"Well…" Reno thought for a moment. "I can see where you're coming from, though I don't agree. Go on."

"It's Esile's fault for catching such a flimsy bonehead. It's partly Jack's fault for leading himself into this predicament." She paused, thinking on how to phrase the next sentence. "But it's not the children's fault that their father is cheating. I'm ruining their lives."

"Arie, life isn't fair," he pointed out. "It's not my fault my dad's that old bastard. It's not your fault that your mum's dead. But it's up to the person to make do or not. It's up to the kids to make different lives. Besides, it's not your fault. It's Rufus' order."

"I know, but…"

"Arie." Reno enclosed her in his arms. "You can be guilty or you can let go, babe. Your choice."

* * *

Months passed. Arien managed to keep distance with Jack; once she was in danger, when they were out for a walk and he had manipulatively led her to the front of a hotel. But she managed to walk past the building without a further ado. 

She was getting sick of the charade. Vincent knew nothing about what was going on, but she knew he was a perceptive child. She felt like she was poison trailing into homes. She wanted to stop. Her vengeance would be done when she would leave Jack, when she would reveal that she belonged to another.

Perhaps this pity was because she began to understand Jack a little better, she thought often. She had harbored the vengeful tears in silence, believing that he had rejected her to fit into a social class. Perhaps this was so, but then, would he have been so kind in the beginning?

Perhaps.

But perhaps he had known that he did not have the capability to protect her. For Arien, her significant other had to be stronger than her, be her superior; she needed someone to protect her when she was hurt. Reno, in all his fluttery frivolousness, had that strength, to support her and guide her when she was lost.

Did Jack have that? No.

She hated lying to her son. Although technically she was not lying, Vince believed that the only man she was having any kind of relationship with was his father. Although this was a charade, a pretense, she was not confident that he would understand at such an early age. If she could convince herself that Jack knew about his incapability to fulfill her needs, then she would have no vengeance toward him.

She also did not like it that the part of the reason why he was attracted her was apparently her appearance. Was she all that was? She scowled to herself. Reno did not love her because she was beautiful or anything. Rather, he was attracted because she was quick, clever, and had humane priorities that he fully recognized that he had forgotten about. She could understand his pains and his triumphs.

Jack did not expect that of her. Rather, she was some decoration for him, a slender woman in her twenties drowning in money.

She had tried to treat Jack with respect, but day by day she was feeling the increasing distrust and dislike for him. She hated superficial people who could not value themselves before valuing others.

And for her, Jack seemed to be the epitome of that.


	7. 6: Goodbyes

ARRRGH!

I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry for the inexcusable delay. I had exams and college letters coming in and whatnot. Sorry sorry sorry. I promise I'll update more regularly after the exams (which is next week). As for now, enjoy the very-long-delayed two chapters.

I'll write thank-yous for the reviews when I update the next time. Sorry sorrrrrrrry! (Please! Don't abandon me! I have abandonment issues.)

* * *

Chapter 6: Goodbyes 

Arien DeVir was, by all means, a very conscientious woman, or that was what others had acknowledged. Arien denied it, but everybody around her knew it. And the person who knew it the best was Renaldo Miller.

She did not know what to do with the ridiculous relationship that she was leading. It was nothing fulfilling, nothing true. If it was in her teenage years, she may have had cried at this opportunity. But now, in her twenties and infinitely wiser than a decade before, Arien saw no attraction to the tired man named Jack McKinnon. She did not even wish ill fortune for him; she just wanted to stop the charade.

Redemption came when she was not looking. All of a sudden, Reno appeared in her office, with a big grin on his face.

"What's the happy occasion? Tseng got sick?" Arien asked calmly. Reno chortled and plopped himself onto the desk. Arien frowned at him.

"Nah." He grinned at her as she expressed her profound distaste at his rear end placed on the corner of her desk. "Rufus' order. Stop the charade."

"Why?"

"I ain't Rufus. But you gotta let the dude know that we know he was leaking info, yo. You know, as a warning."

Arien frowned. "This is awkward."

"Like hell!" He scratched his head. "You're good at this, though."

"Good at what?"

"Telling guys that you've been playing him."

Arien gave a sideway glance. It was a sore subject. During the Kadaj fiasco, Arien had left him – quite literally in bed – after informing him that it was nothing but a fling, a tryst. Not knowing Arien's true motives, Reno had nearly killed her. But as far as she could see, Reno did not seem to mind the bullet scar on his arm – or what that meant for him. She also sported a bullet scar on her chest, but that was not something she could readily explain to her son – "oh yes, Vince, your father nearly killed me. Now finish the carrots".

"Oh, before you go run off to dump your prince, tell me one thing."

"Yes?"

"How far did you go with him?"

It was Arien's turn to laugh. "Nowhere close to where we are," Arien said, laughing.

"How far?"

"A kiss, and he did feel me up… No!" Arien hastily stopped him as Reno, with a very dark expression, picked up a gun on her desk. "Don't go kill Jack, we can't have a mystery murder case and police snooping around. You've touched me plenty of times to make up for the damage."

"Ha, ha." Reno replied sarcastically. However, after Arien had left the room to take care of some problem her subordinates had caused, his mood did not get better.

"Either way, he's gonna die, yo," Reno said to the bookshelf.

* * *

"Do you really have to dress like that?" 

"What? I'm not dressed like a slut."

Reno sighed. "You should wear a muumuu."

"Very funny."

True, what Arien was wearing was modest. No low-cut, cleavage showing lacy stuff. Simply dressed in dark blue shirt and tight skirt. What he disliked was that it amply showed off her slim waist. He knew exactly what kind of thoughts that threw into men's heads – mental activity of undressing her. He knew, because he had done it many times. And apparently, she knew too.

"Are you gonna take it off?"

"Take what off?"

"Your clothes."

"Only if you're there." Arien's heels clicked. "You're the only one who appreciates my stick-thin figureless-ness."

Okay, so maybe she did not understand.

Reno kissed her, perhaps a little longer than usual, before she pushed him away with a sour look on her face.

"When's Vince getting out?"

"Five. We have to be back before then. Don't dally."

"I won't. Not with you around." Maybe he'll take the child to somewhere he liked as a treat; despite his parents' absences, Vince took it good-naturedly. Well, one of us is always there, Reno amended.

Their plan was simple; show him the truth, the truth that Reno was actually her partner, not him. Reno liked that idea. Shove the masculine superiority in that bastard's face. Arien could seriously care less. It was cheesy. Out of all the methods to dump someone, Reno HAD to pick the cheesiest one. As far as she got the job done, she didn't care if someone threw stick dynamite in the building.

"Ready?"

"Mmhmm."

She dialed and waited for him to pick up. She heard a click, then a very low "hello".

"Hey," she said casually.

"Hey. Why a call all of a sudden?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," she replied to the question.

"I see."

Silence.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking around for a chair. It was a slow conversation.

"Nothing…

"Er, okay." Jack gestured to the chair, and she sat down. "So, what's wrong?" 

"Am I that readable like a book?"

"I know you too well." She widened her eyes. "I've known you since we were in the Academy, remember?"

"I guess."

Arien was getting aggravated. Either spit it out or pretend that nothing was wrong. "So, what's wrong?"

"I…" he struggled to get the words out. "I don't know how to act around you, Arien."

"Why not?"

"I can't control myself around you," he admitted.

Arien plastered a confused look on her face. "I don't quite follow you."

"I have a wife and three children, but I'm about to betray them. I can't do that."

The pained look did not really bother her, but she did not appreciate the angry call that followed. What was even worse, it was Reno who picked up, listening in, and he refused to surrender the telephone. 

"Reno! I'm calling! Put down the phone!" Arien cried. "Reno…!"

"Alright, alright!" He replied. "Jeez."

Scowling, she talked to the phone, "Hello?"

"He lives with you?"

"You live with your wife," Arien replied sarcastically. "How may I help you?"

The cool countenance caught him off-guard. "Why the hell did you do that to me?"

"Do what?"

"You led me on!" Jack was shouting. "You fucking led me on, bitch!"

"You took the bait. Despite the fact that you have three children and a wife with marriage ratified under law." She paused. "Oh, and you've also been leaking our information."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Let's just say that my boss personally wanted to see you suffer. You've caused a great big mess." She saw Reno, who was attempting to grab the phone away from her. "I don't think we have anything else to discuss."

Jack stared at the phone as he heard the tone go silent. Her boss? Who was her boss? That Reno guy? But why would he personally want to see him suffer? Because he was being protective of his girlfriend?

There were many mysteries that were suddenly unraveling themselves. However, one thing was certain.

They were not going to toy with him and get away with it. Never.

* * *

Arien sat down next to the redhead, who seemed oddly pensive. "What's wrong?" she asked. 

"Nothin'."

She frowned. "Something's bugging you."

"Am I that see-through?" Reno looked up. "Ya know, I used to be good with poker faces."

"I just know you too well." She smiled. "I haven't been with you this long without learning a few things."

"I hope it's that." He stopped. "It's just that… it's kinda odd that we've been living together, have a kid, and not married, ya know."

Arien shrugged. "We just never got around to it."

"Yeah, but having both parents – legally – for Vince might be better than the kid just having a dad."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"I thought you knew me well enough."

"Not that well enough to be a psychic."

"Hah." He stopped again. "Hey, Arie."

"Yes?"

"Were you okay with… what you did?"

"I'm not crying, am I?" She stretched on the sofa. Reno knew better than that. She bruised pretty easily, although she never showed it. He was unsure.

"No, really. Were you okay?"

"Yeah." She looked surprised. "I used to have a crush on him, Reno, but that was long time ago. I was a teenager. So was he."

"And we're all dumbasses when we're in our teens."

"Pretty much."

Awkward silence ensued. "Hey."

"Yes, Reno?"

"Well, back to Vince…" he held her hand, touched it, feeling the smooth skin. "Why don't you become Arien Miller?"

"I don't know. Why don't I?" Arien laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh Reno." She rolled her eyes. "Getting married? Coming out of your own mouth? Are you really Reno?"

Reno stood up. "Thanks," he said angrily.

"No, no. I just don't see you as a family guy. You're…"

"A player, a scumbag, a drunk?" Reno scowled. "I know. And that's who you ended up with. Sucks to be you."

"I never said those things. You did." She pulled his hand. "Don't get angry. It's just that this is not something I was expecting ever."

"Never mind."

"I do."

"Is that a yes?"

"No if it includes big blown-up weddings. This is beyond a shotgun marriage." She stood up. "Just going to the civil court, okay?"

"Got it." He stood up too. "Better go pick up our kid, huh?"

* * *

The next day began badly and took turn for the worse. When the Turks got a call from Rufus, the seniors knew at once that it wasn't an easy mission. When Tseng came into the room, Reno whispered, "Oh shit." 

"The base in Mideel was recently annihilated by a terrorist," Rufus began in his unemotional tone.

"So what?"

Elena stepped on Reno's foot.

"This cuts off approximately three months' supply of any fuel that we were hoping for, sealing any kind of movement on our side. Consequently, we must seal off their footing in order to balance the game."

"The game? What game? Why wasn't I invited to any of the games?"

This time, Arien stepped on Reno's foot.

"We must attack the oil base in the Cosmo area. Since secrecy is the key, the attackers must go through a canyon leading to the Cosmo area." Rufus gestured to Tseng. "Tseng, the slides, if you will?"

Tseng flicked on the switch, and the Turks concentrated on the screen. The cross-sections of the canyon appeared on the wall.

"What will we be attacking in? Tanks?"

"Aircrafts. The bombers will be led by Reno, and the attackers will be led by Arien. Fighters…"

"Wait a minute," Reno interrupted. "We usually have guards and bombers and that's it."

"Cosmo base is swarming with radars. As soon as the net catches the fly, there'll be combat," Elena explained. "We can't just bomb them then go home."

"Precisely," Tseng nodded approval, while Elena flushed in pleasure. "We'll be having four squadrons. As stated before, Reno will be leading the bombers, Arien will be leading the fighting squad, Rude will deal with the attacking, and Elena…"

"I can't control any aircraft," Elena muttered.

"I can teach you how to move your hands." Reno winked, implying quite something else. Arien scowled.

"You'll be on the guard, since you have the least experience. The callword is Operation Tightrope."

"When is the day?"

"Tonight."

The four whistled.

"Here are the information portfolios. Study them carefully. You will be flanked with your subordinates along with two pilots in each squad. Dismissed."

"This is just FUCKING great," Reno muttered. "One slow roll and you're in flames. You can hardly move."

"Fly too high, you're shot, fly too low and you'll crash," Elena agreed.

"And it's new moon."

Arien's words shut Reno up. "How do we get the visuals?"

"Don't ask me, I'm not the flight expert."

"Yeah, well if you crash, you can be sure that it's one hell of a funeral pyre."

"Thanks for the cheery image," Arien said sarcastically, and disappeared into the office. Reno turned at his fellow Turks, who were scowling at him, and said:

"What did I say?"

"This sucks."

"Yes, I know," Arien replied, zipping up her flight suit. "At least you didn't load yourself with Jager Bombs like the last time."

"That was awesome."

"You made me airsick."

"Still, it was cool."

Arien sighed. Reno actually never got drunk enough to lose control, but he sure liked to make it look like he was completely drunk. She pulled on the gloves resolutely.

"Are you coming?" Arien asked. "We'll be late."

"Yeah, yeah." Reno sighed. "Let's go, and hope that we'll come back."

The flight to Cosmo was easy enough. Arien heard the blare and Rude's voice: "We will now cease all communications on all but the current frequencies. Lower altitudes. Approaching Alpha Gate."

Arien followed, her VTOL gliding smoothly. The wing-span was just short enough for the canyon, Arien noted.

"Shit!" She heard, and from the corner of her eyes she caught a glimpse of a flash. She guessed that one of the squad had crashed; sure enough, a few more went up in flames as the debris hit one after another.

"Keep on going!" She commanded those behind her.

"Approaching Beta Gate!"

"Don't strangle the stick," Arien ordered again. "Roll fast."

The aircraft swerved, and she winced as there was a loud crash behind her.

"I can't do this!" Came a loud cry.

"Fucking idiot!"

She could see the missile launched at the foolish aircraft, which had gotten out of the canyon. It burst into flames midair.

"Thank you, idiot," came Reno's sarcastic voice. "You just pinpointed our location. Fucker."

As if in response, the walls caved in as bombs exploded.

"Okay, change of plans."

"That was Barrel Road. It's closed," Elena reported.

"Yeah, we know, Laney."

Arien was sweating profusely. The pilot seat had no thermal control, the suit was sticking to her body, and the helmet was heating her head. She wanted to grip on the stick, but she kept a light touch on purpose. This was utter hell. She heard another crash. She focused on the surroundings, narrowly avoiding from crashing into the canyon wall.

"Watch it!"

She rolled hastily, feeling her peripheral vision turn a full 90 degrees as the VTOL spun. She breathed a sigh of relief when she came out of the canyon. It was a short sojourn, but it had used up her nerves.

"Echo Gate destroyed. Can't go by the manual," Rude's voice informed. "Fly straight through. Don't look around, just follow the tail."

"Roger that."

Arien wondered if she would survive for the seventh time. She highly doubted if she could fly through the blazing inferno; she followed into the flames, the entire VTOL swerving as she maneuvered around the large hunk of rock that was colliding against the surface of the canyon.

"Out!"

"Okay. Back-ups in position."

They attacked first. Reno continued on as a hail of bullets rained; Arien swerved in from the behind and triggered. She dived as an opponent launched a missile at her; thankfully one of her subordinates launched a sidewinder, and Arien managed to get out of the way.

"Fly up! FLY UP!" Reno was shouting. "You're gonna get caught in the blast!"

"Explosives dispensed," came a voice from the helmet.

"Roger that."

The flight home was easy, but the pilots were still tense. Going through the canyon at mach speed was too intense for Arien; she nearly fell out of the cockpit.

"You okay, Arie?"

She remained sitting on the ground.

"You look like hell."

"Where are you going?" Arien called after the redhead.

"Reporting to Tseng. We lost seven."

Rude joined him. "Not too bad, eh?"

"Seven's a rounded number." Reno grinned. "That canyon was fun."

Elena sat down next to Arien. Her blonde hair was plastered onto her sweaty forehead. "Does Reno always go like that?" she asked.

"Today was mild. He has wild tendencies to do aerobats." Arien smiled. "How do you feel, Elena?"

"I don't want to do that again."

Arien laughed. "Same here." She took a deep breath. "The things we have to do to keep this company alive."

"At least we get paid for it." Elena stood up and offered a hand, which Arien accepted. "How's Vince?"

* * *

"I want you to lure him out." 

"But…"

"This is vital."

Silence ensued. Then, an exclamation of "three million gils?" followed.

"More will come if you do this."

A pause. Then a resolute "fine."

"Good."

* * *

"Laney, Arie." 

"Yes sir."

Reno felt odd with his girlfriend, possibly wife, calling him "sir". Oh well. It was what his rank demanded.

"I want you two to go to Wutai."

"Why?"

"Don't ask me why, Tseng told me."

"And do what? Have a vacation?"

"No. Tseng wants you to get this dude."

Elena caught the photograph flipped at them.

"And who, may I ask, is this male?"

"Dunno."

Elena and Arien both stared at him.

"Honest to god, I have no clue. Read the report."

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

* * *

Arien was sitting on the sofa – again – with a portfolio in her hands. "Why do I have to go?" 

"Because he's a sucker for beauties like you two young ladies."

"Thanks."

Reno sat next to her. "Take a break," he said. 

"Okay."

"Coffee?"

"No thanks."

He pulled her on top, his hands sliding up her shirt.

"No. Vince…"

"Is asleep."

She overlaid her mouth onto his. "Promise you'll watch him?"

"I'm taking hours off work to watch him. Don't worry."

"Does Tseng know?"

"About me taking off? No." He grinned. "Aw come on, don't ruin the mood with Tseng's face."

Arien laughed. "Don't ruin the sofa."

"Can I ruin the bed?"

"It's already ruined."

"Alrighty then."

Reno was taking his clothes off when he stopped and looked at the woman in bed, swathed in beige sheets, her white tank-top visible. "Remember our first night?"

"Kind of."

"I do." He smiled. "I didn't know you were a virgin. I freaked."

"Thanks."

"No, I did. And you look just like you did then. Although I think the sheets were blue."

"Really."

"Yeah." He climbed into the bed, and nudged her. "Hey, scooch." Then he stopped her. "Actually, no." He pulled her on top of him, and framed her face with his hands. "You haven't changed."

"You have." Reno picked up a strand of hair off her shoulders and smelled it.

"How?"

"You're… less high-strung." She smiled slightly. "I think you qualify as a family guy."

"Me?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Thanks." He gently kissed her. "Arie?"

"Yes?"

"No matter what happens, just remember that…"

Arien waited for the next word.

"I love you."


	8. 7: Mission Unaccomplished

Note: Again, I will THANK YOU ALL OF YOU GUYS for waiting for me patiently to update. I am so sorry. If I was the reader, I would just abandon myself, so for those of you who stuck with me, thank you!

Note: Italics is in Japanese. I, being a Jap, can't really write Japanese in abc without cracking up. So I translated them into English instead.

* * *

Chapter 7: Mission Unaccomplished 

The next morning, Elena entered as Arien was sparring Tseng in the arena. "What are you two doing?" Elena asked curiously.

Arien held up a hand as in time out, then wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Sparring," she said.

"Wutai style?"

"Yep. Tseng's the expert. I'm strictly amateur."

"Why?"

"Elena, you should read the security portion of the portfolio," Tseng said mildly.

"I did. But guns are quicker."

"That's the problem. No guns allowed." Arien dropped the wooden Wutaian sword onto the floor. "Actually, no weapons allowed. That's one of the reasons why I'm going. I'm the only one who can use these swords except Tseng, and of course Tseng's not going. The other reason is that I'm a Wutaian. I know the customs, the language."

"Why am I going, then?"

"I can't fight a squadron alone. I need your help in other stuff too. I'm totally hopeless when it comes to memorizing maps and any other kind of explosives. You're the expert."

"Ah."

"Ladies!" Reno showed his face through the window. "Ready?"

"Let me get changed," Arien said, bowing. "_Thank you for the spar, master._"

"Anytime," Tseng replied in common.

* * *

Elena had further disagreements about Wutaian dress other than the sandals. When they both donned the kimono, she realized that the garment hardly allowed any movement. 

"Is it supposed to be like this?"

"Yes."

"How are we supposed to move?"

Arien looked at her feet peeking from the hems. "Uh… good point."

Elena pursed her lips. "Looks like we have a slight problem."

Seconds passed in silence until Arien smacked her head. "Elena! Remember those rubber suits?"

"The ones that Rufus spent an insane amount on and nobody wore again?"

"Yeah. Did we bring them?"

Elena checked the list. "Erm… yes."

"Good." She started to undress in the small room of the inn. "Get ready to strip into those suits. We're gonna need them."

An hour later, the two women were standing outside the door. "_I need to see him_," Arien said in fluent Wutaian.

"_Oh?"_ said the man with a big scar on the cheek. "_Because?_"

"_That's none of your business. Just tell him that_ _Akina is here."_

The two waited in the lobby. Arien, with her long hair in a traditional Wutaian hairstyle and her Wutaian make-up, looked serene, in place. Elena's eyes remained focus on the frontal view, where the door was.

"Relax," Arien whispered.

"How can I?" Elena whispered back. "I'm in a rubber suit!"

Arien decided not to reply; rather, she stood up as the door to the left opened. A slender young man appeared in a male Wutaian garment. His eyes were clever and sharp, taking everything within its dark depth and giving nothing back. His hair, raven, just like Arien's, was cut one-length, as if the hairdresser had drawn a straight line around his head before cutting. There was a vagrant strand on his forehead; his arrogant nose only added to his cool intensity of his expression. He was almost as tall as Reno, Arien noted.

"_Ah, ladies."_ His voice was quiet. "_To what pleasure do I owe?"_

"_Can we talk inside?"_ Arien's voice was soft as well. _"My companion and I would rather not talk out… here."_ She made a sweeping gesture.

"_Of course. Forgive my discourtesy."_

Arien was dressed in a lavish white kimono, with pale purple and pink pattern on the hems. It was made of the richest silk, and it vaguely made her feel as if she was going to see her husband for the first time in an arranged marriage. Elena's was slightly more extravagant, with bright red and golden embroidering.

"Why are we going in?" Elena whispered. "Who are we supposed to be?"

"Lavishly dressed and artistically talented prostitutes."

"What's his name?"

"Noriaki. He's from a loyal clan."

"Then why are we eradicating him?"

"He's the prince of the crime world. Let's just say that he's a menace."

"Do I have to offer sexual favors?" Elena looked slightly annoyed.

"I have no clue."

"What's my role?"

"You're my apprentice… in a way."

The room the man led them to was beautiful, if simple. "_Your name is…?" _He asked.

"_Akina,_" Arien answered. "_My… apprentice, Lin._"

"_Ah."_

Arien had cut the top so it became a halter suit, secretly apologizing to Rufus. He had a gentle touch as he slid his hand around the back of her neck. His other hand was tugging at her belt. His hand crept up, undid her hair. The kimono came off her shoulders. Then…

He froze.

"You aren't the purchase," he said in common.

"No." Arien agreed. Elena flung off her kimono as well, revealing a black rubber body suit. Arien's showed her white shoulders, starting just above the swell of her breasts. He looked at both of them.

"You aren't here for money."

"No," Elena agreed.

"You're Turks."

"Correct."

"Then I suggest you question me and leave."

"_Oh no, my boy,_" Arien said, standing up. Noriaki remained seated on the floor, his eyes challenging. "_Apparently you don't know us. We aren't spies, you know. We don't question. We just kill."_

"_What do you want?"_

"_Quite frankly, nothing. See, you've been quite a thorn in Rufus' side." _Arien began pacing around him. _"And it's time that he plucks the thorn out."_

"_Oh really… Cousin."_

Arien stopped, but before continuing Noriaki lunged for the Wutaian swords that were on display on the wall.

Arien and Elena ran to the other side of the room. With a loud metallic noise Arien pulled out another sword from the wall bracket. Elena edged toward the doors and chained them shut.

"Oh Cousin," he called to the Wutaian woman. "You've turned into quite a beauty, I see."

"Not with your help," Arien replied, gritting teeth. They were circling each other like a tiger now, unwilling to give up or show any moment of weakness and looking for the chances to attack.

"You could have been my wife."

"Elena, can you watch the door?" Arien asked without looking back. "In your dreams," she retorted to her adversary.

"Although, I must admit, I would take great joy in taking you to bed," he mused. "Harder the obstacle, sweeter the victory. You know the saying, don't you?"

"I'm no one's victory," she replied, smiling slightly.

"Ah, we'll see about that when you're in my bed."

"The only thing we're going to see around each other is lots and lots of blood."

"I wouldn't mind shedding a few drops to see you under me. And the other girl too."

Arien was getting furious, and she was glad Reno was not here. Reno went berserk when she had to flirt with a man as a mission; this kind of talk would have sent him over the edge.

He lashed out first. She blocked raising her sword, then ducked as he swung the sword above her head. She tried to deliver a slice to the thigh, but he expertly danced out of the way.

"Why don't you surrender now?" he asked. "There is no point."

Arien ignored the comment. He slashed again, and a thin line of red blood trickled down from her upper arm.

"I don't like injured women," he said quietly. "Don't make me hurt you even more. You!" He turned to Elena, blocking Arien without looking. "Don't move."

Arien, without a reply, slashed against his leg. It was his turn to trickle blood.

"A scarlet reply, I see."

She sidestepped, holding the sword.

"Why do you wear that… thing?" He asked curiously, swinging the sword and crashing it down only to be blocked by hers. "You two can't dress more provocatively if you tried."

"For convenience. Shut up before I lop your head off."

"My my, what a brave girl." He pranced back. "Your sword seems lightweight."

Arien twisted her body to the left, contorting her torso and cutting into her opponent when a knife crashed through the window. It lodged itself into Elena's back. She fell, face forward, onto the floor.

He dropped the sword immediately, but Arien was faster. "Elena!" She whispered harshly.

"_Who did that?"_ He was calling out angrily to the garden. Then with a dismissive shrug, he turned to the woman on the floor.

"_Don't come near us_," Arien ordered.

"_Why?"_

"_Go look for that idiot_." Arien knelt by her coworker. "_I know you didn't order that knife. Now go look for him. I have to get her to a physician_."

"_I suggest you don't move her_," he said. "_She does have a knife sticking out of her back, after all._" He walked out of the room, and Arien could hear him calling for a physician.

_So he keeps a physician around,_ Arien thought. _Who is he, Rufus' evil twin?_

All her thoughts were lost as she sheathed the naked sword and sat by Elena and her puddle of blood.

* * *

"_We can't move her_," the physician said. 

"_What?"_

"_She's in a delicate condition. Her back was damaged from previous assaults. Looks like she got flailed in the past_." He pointed at the faint scars on Elena's back. Arien winced; she knew exactly where she got "flailed". Past battles didn't leave easy marks on the body.

She didn't want to be the one breaking the news to Reno. She had no idea what he'd do. Or how he'd react. She just had a definite impression that she didn't want to be there when it happened. Reno was trigger-happy as it was. Adding nasty shocks was like pouring oil onto a flaming inferno.

"_I'll keep her_," Noriaki said. It sounded to Arien as if he thought Elena was some exotic pet.

"_No way_."

"_Why no_t?" He asked again.

"_Because you tried to kill her! God knows what you'll do."_

"_I did no such thing,_" He replied calmly. "_I won't kill her. I promise._"

"_Oh really."_

"_I wouldn't want to kill her,_" he smiled. "_Renaldo Miller's beloved? No. I have other uses for her than sending her to death, Arien. Besides, I wouldn't want to be the one to crush this little flower._"

"_She's beautiful to you?"_ Arien found this puzzling. _Renaldo Miller's beloved? Where did he get his information? _She did look distinct, yes, but in Midgar and The Edge she blended in. Then she remembered that Elena was in Wutai, where everyone had raven hair and dark eyes.

"_Oh, no."_ He denied that claim. "_But her arrogance makes her future submission even more attractive."_

Arien was still suspicious, but she also believed him to honor his claim; she knew male species enough to see that to this man, Elena was a primal challenge to his male ego, a beautiful platinum trophy. Besides, she trusted this physician; even from her view, it was obvious that Elena could not be allocated. She finally nodded. _"Fine."_ Arien said.

"_I knew you'd understand."_

When Arien left, he was still smiling.

* * *

What Elena did not know was that Arien and Noriaki knew each other quite well. Wutai was a small town, and they were around the same age. Although Noriaki was one of the princes and Arien just a normal girl, they were good friends in childhood. 

Through his network of spies, he had learned that Arien had grown into maturity, had graduated from the Academy, joined the intelligence, and was soon elevated to the Turks. However, it amazed him that she had developed a relationship with her colleague. It was unlike her, this mix of personal life and her business one.

Her photograph had amazed him even more. True, she was no beauty, but her arrogant expression tickled something within him. She looked clever and intelligent, which added to the challenge. Her coworker, however, intrigued him even more. Eager to please, hardworking, intelligent, and blonde, she was an epitome of lethal beauty for him.

And now here she was, comatose and defenseless, in front of him. No one else was in the room. And Arien would be in the vicinity. He wanted her as well.

Noriaki hated Renaldo Miller for his dirty work. Reno had no pride in himself, or that was what he had believed. He had no idea how that redhead had captured this female. Arien did not seem to be the type to simper when she was caught – she was a fighter – but she wasn't the one to fall for idiots either. Reno was the very definition of what Noriaki disdained – stupid, cocky, cheap.

_Well_, he thought. _Time to change that._

No, he did not plan to marry Elena. Or anything. But as his mistress, she was perfect; she had the wit, the manners, and provided an amusing challenge for him. It also meant that he was ultimately better than the Head of the Turks.

He smiled to himself again, glanced at Elena quietly breathing, and left. He would begin his conquest when she is conscious; he had no desire to take advantage of a comatose body. The physician said it will take a few days for her to regain consciousness; this would give him time.

* * *

Au contraire, Elena was awake by the next hour. 

First she wondered where she was, and why she was lying on her stomach. Someone had changed her clothes; she was no longer in that rubber spandex suit. She tried to roll over and winced, and remembered the crashing knife.

"Damn!" She swore into the pillow. "Fuck. I screwed up. Fuck, fuck, fuck." She wasn't the one to swear, but this deserved much swearing. She had never screwed up her mission due to her inability. And now this!

"Awake?"

She looked around, using only her eyes, and then her stare turned murderous.

"Enjoying my demise?"

"Not particularly. Immobile women don't excite me."

"You bastard. You told me not to move. I just stood there. You honor the floor by having someone throw a knife at me?"

"I never ordered that."

"Liar."

"Truly." Noriaki sat down beside her futon. "I swear."

"Hmph." That was all she replied.

"You look particularly pleasing to me, Elena."

"You look particularly unpleasing to me."

"Ah."

"Which bastard threw the knife?"

"No bastard. It was a woman." Noriaki mused. "Her name is Michele, apparently."

"Michele?"

"Tsubasa."

Elena scowled. That damn librarian!

"She asked me to tell you to have no hard feelings… she was hired."

Elena continued to scowl, but she forgave her anyway. Assassins for hire. Arien could not accuse her. She would have done the same thing.

"And now… of us."

"Of us?"

"Well, yes. You are my honored guest for the time you're injured, but after your recovery you must admit your defeat. The defeated do not walk away unscathed."

"I don't call this unscathed. And it wasn't even a combat."

"It is within the rules that you must compensate."

"This is called backstabbing. Literally." Elena twisted, trying to alleviate the pressure on her neck, and failed. He gently scooped her up in an upright position.

"Better?"

"I didn't expect you to be so courteous. I almost expected that you'll stab me while I was knocked out." She paused. "Thank you."

"It is my pleasure… in more than one way, my dear friend."

"That's not funny."

"Elena." His face, carefully chiseled, became serious. He perhaps looked even better than Tseng. Definitely younger, but with the capability to lead. "Can we talk not as enemies, but at least as a host and the guest? Forget the current for now. Remember the past."

"When will this happen?"

"Whenever you want it to be."

She looked at him, stared into his dark eyes. It was masked, passionless; still she nodded, mainly because she was in a precarious position. She was a guest, but only at his mercy. She was mesmerized by his dark eyes as well, and saw an endless pit in them, that she may fall in.

The next moment, she felt his mouth on her own. And she could not move.

"Mmmfgh!" She screamed, but his lips insisted to continue the little game. She was running out of breath; she opened her mouth, and as if he was going after that, his tongue came into her mouth. She felt the dangerously gentle sensation; and she fell.

* * *

"They developed an anti-mako round?" Reno was practically yelling. "What the fuck is this, let's piss off Reno day? God damn it!" 

No one was in the office, but he continued to scream unprofessionally at Rude anyway. "That goddamn motherfucker, stupid fucking bastard."

Rude bore it without the pain. He was not really listening.

The report that he had previously thrown against the wall was a report from Rude, which reported that the cause of mysterious deaths where people who had mako-exposure died by crystallizing into silicon crystal was because of the anti-mako round that reacted with their silicon-based cells and transformed them into crystals.

"Shit! Fuck!" Reno screamed. "Goddamn mako! Always causing more problems…" he saw the red light flash, indicating that there was an incoming call. He pressed the button and turned on the speakerphone. "Reno."

"Reno, we have a problem."

"Oh gimme news, yo, not history." Reno groaned. "What is it, Arie?"

"We failed the mission for now. Some bastard threw a knife when I was fighting the target. Elena's seriously injured."

"And?"

"Well, I can't move her! She's under the hospitality of Noriaki right now. No, I don't like it more than you do." She paused for Reno's grating retort, received none, and continued. "I'm staying in Wutai, and I'm requesting a small contingent of agents to be flown over to the location when I ask for it. I mean it."

"Yeah. Permission granted. Want news back at home?"

"Sure."

"Yeah, well, remember the crystal corpse case?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Well, Rude solved the mystery."

"Give a heads-up to Rude. And the cause is?"

"Some group developed an anti-mako round. It reacts with the silicon base of our system, turns it into silicon crystal. Nice, eh?"

"Great." She paused. "So how do we not turn into crystals?"

"I'm making the science research department give us an answer ASAP. But until then, let's hope you can dodge bullets."

"Wonderful." She sounded depressed. "Right. I'll ring you later, when I check up on Elena."

"Call home!"

"I already did." Blip.

"Fuck!" Reno yelled again. "Goddamn it. Goddamn it, goddamn it..."


	9. 8: I'm so glad

Arrrgh! SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY YET AGAIN. I'm such a bad person. (Beats herself).

The reason I was taking so much time to write the last few chapters was because I was making a big decision over whether to hold out the storyline to a long story or not. But now I've made up my mind. Part of the plot will be revealed. No, sorry, it won't involve sex this time.

Narcissistic Riceball – Thanks for the encouragement! Turks don't have easy lives. But they aren't having it as hard as our beloved gunslinger. Don't fear, he will play a relatively big part in this story. He is, after all, the godfather of our heroes' child. (Heh. I just happen to love the name Vincent. It means victory, and I love victories! Although I don't have too many.)

Moonshine's Guide – I don't know about Jack. I'm having murderous thoughts about the model of the character. As you may have noticed, he's an arrogant bastard and I hate him to death. People like that should suffer so much that their ass hurts (oo, sounds dirty). But it might be satisfying to have him die in a painful, ugly, dreadful way. We shall see.

Raspberry Polar Bear – Are you still alive? I missed you during the last chapter. Or did you abandon me? (still having issues) COME BAAACK! The plot's just unfolding. You don't want to miss the third installment of this crazy rollercoaster, now, would you? We also get to see some teary scenes for Tseng and Elena (little spoiler preview).

Echo – Michele is an enigma as of yet. I haven't decided whether she'll be a good person or a bad person. I personally don't believe there are "good assassins", but on the other hand she doesn't seem like an evil person who cackles wildly after each carnage and massacre. So I'll hold you off (she will play a part along with other submitted characters).

Insanity – Thanks! Mono was NOT fun. I screamed at my boyfriend and he shrugged and said, "Too bad". I demanded a box of chocolates from him. He attempted to kiss me instead. (What a dude.) I'm back on track now, I hope, with my final exams finished and a new semester beginning. So I will be able to pick up the pace again with the storyline set.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde – Welcome to the story, and thanks for reading! To answer your questions, the reason why the cousin wanted to get into Arien's pants is because I'm a sick pervert. I thought it'd be fun to have a dude attempt to make Arien a slave. 2, Arien's habits (frowning, tipping head) are based on real people around me and standing while on the phone is mine. Jack knew this and so he told her to sit.

Kinda shortish chapter to get the speed going, and to also get back on track. Sorry...!!!!

* * *

Tseng, contrary to other's expectations, did not throw a temper tantrum, or break down, or calmly dismiss the reporter of the news. Instead, he turned his back, and ordered her to leave.

Arien left without a word. She knew better than to say anything. Tseng could be temperamental, and she had a vague idea what he must prepare himself to go through. She left quietly, without a sound, closing the door without even a click.

When he knew she was gone, he collapsed on his knees. Being a Turk always meant this. Always.

But why did the Lords of the Sky have to do it now?

"We have two choices," Arien said to Reno, who was sitting, feet up on the long conference table. "We either amputate her leg or let her crystallize."

"No other choice."

"None at the moment."

"Can't you use your weird gizmo powers…?" Reno made a vague gesture with his hands. She shook her head.

"My stand destroys and rearranges on an atomic level. I can't change the nuclear construction of Elena's leg. Elena's cellular construction is increasing its silicate level by the hour. I can't stop that."

"God!" He shouted. "Fuck!"

Arien leaned on the window. Elena was now comatose, possibly in a sleep that she will never awaken from. She had grown from enemies to good friends over the past years; it gave a twinge of sadness to her. But this, she was reminded, was also the price of being in the elite assassination squad. Anything could happen to you. That was why nobody complained when they lived in decadence (except Tseng, of course); nobody knew who'll be alive to enjoy the moment tomorrow. That was why they drank till they passed out, ate luxuriously, dressed in finest clothes, had sex so often that it was more of a blessing that they were sterile. For the most part.

"Hey."

"What?" Arien was jolted from her reminiscing.

"You know that cyborg the Cybernetic Research Division developed?"

She vaguely remembered the female robot. "Yes? What about it?"

"I have an idea. Let's amputate Elena's leg."

Arien frowned, creating a deep crease on her forehead. "Reno, I don't like where this is going."

"Arie, this is the only way, yo. It's either let Elena die, or amputate her leg and stop the siliconization, and give her a sub-level replacement leg instead. But she'll live. Which one would you rather want?"

Arien thought about her joy in her career. But then she also thought about Reno's agony if she was gone, left with a souvenir from their moments of joy. The very living reminder that she was here, but was gone. The very carrier of DNA who bore her face along with the redhead's. Vince.

Arien found herself nodding to Reno's crazy plan. "Okay."

* * *

If Arien thought Reno was crazy, Tseng was seriously considering having Reno get a mental check-up. The plan was insane.

"Reno, it's insane."

"Well then, you can let your beloved blondie die while knowing that you had the chance to save that chick." Reno returned his balance from the leaning form with one hand on the desk, one hand in his pocket, to the walking stance. "Your problem. Ain't mine. My girl's alive and kicking me."

Reno knew it hit home even before he started to walk away. He grinned to himself as he heard Tseng's voice, slightly higher-pitched, reply "Fine."

* * *

"Hey."

The small child, who was playing with his friends by the gate, looked up. "Hi."

"Wanna see something cool?"

The child nodded. He came closer. The friends' backs were turned toward the gate. The man was outside the gate.

The friends did not hear anything, because the child had no clue what had just transpired. But when they turned around to see what was going on, the child was gone.

So was the man.

* * *

Jack McKinnon had sedated the young infant, and handed him over to the two men. "I've held my part of the bargain," he said.

The man tossed a debit card without a name on it at his feet, with a slight sneer on his face. "The pin number is on the back," he said. "Welcome to the dark business."

After the men left, Jack stood there, wondering if he had sold his soul to the devil.

* * *

Arien was not expecting the call. She had stood up, stretched, checked the time. It was 1:30. She wondered what Vince was doing, hoping that he was on his best behavior as usual. He was a good child, but she also was worried that Reno was the father. Even though the disciplines had been normal, maybe Vince carried a gene that caused trouble. Or whispered words in his ear that he wasn't supposed to hear. Either way, she was slightly apprehensive.

Well, an hour and a half and she'll be off to pick him up, hear the day's adventures. They'll go home, she will cook, and then Reno would come home around six. Unlike their previous contract, the couple actually came home at regular hours. It also helped that Ivy was understanding and did not mind if Arien knocked on her door at three in the morning.

Yes. Reno would come home at six, they would have dinner. Around nine Vince will go to bed. The parents would spend a few hours trying to finish work, then they would go to bed. Then the morning. Vince needs to wake up a little earlier, she thought. He's been late to preschool more often now. What time…

A vibrating cell phone disturbed her. Who was it? She thought angrily. Reno did not call her during the hours; his room was a few steps away, all he needed to do was walk over and stick his head in the doorway or just yell her name. Ivy called her office; she knew the Turk's extension. Jack had no reason to call her anymore. Her phone was not listed. Rufus or Tseng would have used the two-way intercom. That left no one.

She picked up after the seventh ring.

"Oh thank god!" said the familiar voice. Vincent's teacher. "I'm terribly sorry, but…"

"What happened? Is Vincent sick?" She asked.

"No. He's gone."

"What?" Arien did not understand the situation.

"He's not on the ground! He was playing by the front gate with his friends – he loves to play under the big tree by the gate – and one moment he was there, the next moment he was gone. Oh, I'm so sorry…"

Arien, for a fleeting moment, froze. Her mind went blank. Then, without caring where she tossed the phone into, she ran out the door, her car keys dangling from her fingers.

* * *

"What!"

Arien was in tears. "Oh Reno, what am I going to do?" She wailed. "This is my fault. I should have listened. I shouldn't have placed him in daycare!"

"Shut up for a sec," Reno said sternly. She was annoying him with her pointless sobbing. He pushed a button on his phone, then put on speaker.

"Hello. President Shinra's office. How may I help you?"

"Cut the crap and put Rufus on the line. This is Reno."

"Sir, he's in a meeting with the Director of Defense right now. May I…"

"Oh, Tseng's there? Good. Saved a call. Just connect the godddamn phone!"

The secretary gave a whimper, then blipped off. The next moment, Rufus' very annoyed voice came out from the speaker on the black phone.

"Reno, I'm in a meeting with…"

"Tseng. Just shove it and listen. We have a big-ass problem that will blow Tseng's problem all the way across to the moon. Your royal heir's kidnapped. I need someone to cover my desk."

Rufus was silent for a few seconds; only Arien's gulps were audible. Then, "what?"

"Vince's been kidnapped. No, I'm not joking." Reno said irritably. "I need to be off any assignments, and I need someone to cover my desk. I also need Rude and Arie off any assignments as well. Now you listen to me for a second, because-"

"I'm your president, Reno."

"Yeah, and the future of the company is in danger. He's also my kid, and I'll blow your brains off if you don't do what I say."

It seemed that Rufus understood that Reno meant every word. "Fine. I'll send Tseng down to cover your desk. DeVir and Richardson are off any duties. I want Vincent Miller found. This is top priority."

"I'm glad you see it my way." Reno stood up, kissed the crying woman, then yanked her hand. "Come on. Crying won't save Vince. Let's go."

* * *

"I am so glad you pierced Vince's ears," Arien said as Reno drove.

"And you didn't like it."

"Well, I didn't know."

Arien had stopped crying, once she knew that the things weren't completely hopeless. It appeared that Reno had pierced Vincent's ears for a reason; one of his stud earrings, the left emerald, was not just a pretty ornament but a tracer. With Arien's tracing system on her network, it was easy to follow where he was until he disappeared off the radar perimeter. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm still sorry. I should have taken a better care of him." Arien stared glumly out the window.

"Reconsidering my proposal?"

"Yes."

It took more than a moment for Reno to register her unexpected response. He expected a no. But from the mirror view, it seemed that Arien's eyes were still having tear problems. He moved his left hand, and grasped Arien's.

"When we find Vince…"

"If."

"When." Reno corrected. "When we find Vince, promise me you'll wear my ring. Promise me you'll use my name as your last name. Promise me."

The words came out as a struggle. Arien fought over each word.

"I promise."

"Elena."

* * *

Elena opened her eyes. She had a glazed look.

"Elena?"

She giggled.

"Elena!"

It then occurred to Tseng that being subjugated to drugs and sex may have had a bigger impact on the blonde woman than anyone had imagined.

"Elena, can you hear me?"

Elena smiled; it was a child's smile, or a lunatic's, without any comprehension of the sense now or here. Innocent in not knowing.

"Elena!"

Elena seemed to be more amused on the little insect flying a few feet above her head than her lover calling her name.

Then Tseng knew, with the devastating certainty; that bastard, that royal's son who made lives miserable because he was bored, had crossed the wrong person.

Elena had lost her mind. Completely. And someone was going to answer him for that.


	10. 9: Turks on the Loose

Hey guys! I have a legitimate excuse this time for the delay. I was in NY as a journalist (not really – scholarship stuff) interviewing runway models. I thought it might be cool to add some scenes from the backstage of the runway show, though. The models are SKINNY AS HELL. And their faces are caked in make-up, which I kinda found it funny.

The actual model and the clothes are based from the Spring Collection 2007 of Armani Collezioni (the male model and the second outfit) and Ralph Lauren (the suit). I can't design clothes to save my life. So all credit goes to Senor Armani and Mr. Lauren. (Oh, and if somebody is feeling like they really hate money, somebody BUY ME THE SUIT… joking.)

Insanity – Glad you liked it! Tseng is a little off the hook at the moment. It's a little weird to write him, though, because usually Tseng is displayed as slightly obsessive and OCD and proper and everything. Reno's always crazy, but he softened up a little bit, which I don't really like. I can't do anything about it now, though…

CookieKitten – Elena is temporarily insane… maybe. I can't really kill her off, that would break Tseng's heart :-P. Revenge? Maybe. I bet our couple is burning for revenge. I had a little revenge myself on the Jack character because I HATE HATE the guy who's the base of this character. (Sorry for the little outburst). But this revenge is yet unplanned. So I'll keep you on the hinge.

Raspberry Polar Bear – are you finished with your exams? I hope you did well. Yes, Vince is gone. Elena's insane. Turks never seem to have a good life. But then, that's part of their job. This chapter's a little depressing, a little icky, and a little funny, I think. I actually enjoyed writing the last scene. Going to the backstage was fun – it also made me realize that I can never ever be one of them (haha).

NarcissisticRiceball – Hey, Reno probably thought it was cool to pierce Vince's ear. Arien isn't being much of a use at the moment – she's crying her eyes out and she's not doing much else, which makes me want to slap her across the face and yell "WAKE UP", but oh well. I really feel bad for Elena and Tseng, though. Especially Tseng. Finally they were getting somewhere and then this stuff happens.

Moonshine's Guide – no, you may NOT kill Jack. I have an awesome death coming along for him. (I think I've made it obvious enough that I hate his guts…) he's a little embarrassing in this chapter. Arien will have the honor… but you'll see, I guess. I don't know if Elena will be alright. See, so many things have been unplanned in this story, and that's why I'm lagging.

Echo – OKAY, OKAY! I'll try. I don't want to kill Vince yet! Vincent Valentine hasn't come in with his sentient cloak and his weird skateboard (I don't know if that's a skateboard… it looks like one.) As for Elena – she won't die, because she currently has her leg amputated. As for her well-being, I don't know, because I didn't really plan Elena's plot thoroughly. But it'll wrap up.

Itachi349 – well, I'm glad! Since this is the 3rd installment in the series, some people are little daunted by the 60+ chapters. I'm updating as fast as I can, but because I didn't plan this one out as well as I did the others, it's a little tough on me. You even saved it on Word? Kudos to you! AND you read it from the beginning… (starts crying) I'm so loved by my readers… and I'm not really repaying the love… (feels a little bad)

* * *

Chapter 9 – The Turks on the Loose

"Uh huh, yeah. Gotcha…"

Reno had a phone under his chin, a pen in his right hand, a cigarette in is left. He twirled the pen in his hand, annoyed by the hysterical wailing that could be heard from the bedroom. Resolutely, he threw the pen on the desk, and marched to the bedroom, still sandwiching the phone under his chin.

"Put a sock in it, Arie," he ordered. "Bawling isn't going to find Vince."

Arien's whimpers abated. Reno returned to the office room, with a frown on his face. The guy on the other end was talking again; the head of the intelligence service. For once he was glad that Rufus remembered how to set up the conglomerate back to where it was in the system, if not in might. Although they did not have a massive army or tall buildings, each division was back to the way it was more or less.

"So you have a pen?"

"Uh… yeah." Reaching over for a pen, he knocked over an empty glass with his sleeve. He paid no attention to it. "Yeah."

"Alright. Get this name down. John McKinnon."

"John… Mc… Kinnon…" he stopped. "Wait. Does he work at one of our branches, Dyl?"

"Yeah. Know the guy?"

"Somewhat." He dropped the topic. "What about him?"

"He's the one who got the info on the kid, Miller."

Reno made a firm resolve to get the douche killed sooner or later, but his voice didn't show his murderous intents. "Right. Is he still at the branch?"

"As far as I know, he's on the satellite system in orbit but he's coming back to attend some party or something this weekend. He's teching up our spy satellite system."

What an irony. Reno sneered. The guy was signing his death sentence with his own blood. Oh well. His downfall was sealed when he sold the information to the rivaling company. It didn't matter, because Rufus made sure that the company was no longer in operation by having the president get into an apoplexy and die on his wife, but Shinra demanded absolutely loyalty to all employees.

"He sure doesn't do his dirty job…" Reno mused.

"What?"

"Nothin', nothin'. Thanks. Owe you."

"Yeah, well I'm sending the bill to the President."

"Yeah, make it pricey, yo." He hung up. He stood up and stretched; he thought that maybe Arien would be a big help, but all she did was panic and cry. It was unlike her, but then, it was her own child in danger. It was hypocritical, but what was he going to say? Tseng wasn't helping either; he was too preoccupied by the now one-legged Elena and her rehabilitation. Reno snorted. When he thought he killed Arien, he didn't keel over and bawl and stop coming to work, now, did he? Why were people around him suddenly so incompetent?

"Arien!" He shouted as he strolled down the hallway to the bedroom.

Arien raised her tear-streaked face, and Reno's anger dissipated. She looked pitiful, her usually pale skin looking like she broke out in hives. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her raven hair was in tangles. Tears streaked her face.

"Hey, Arie," he said, sitting down beside her. "Stop crying. We'll find him, don't worry. I promise we'll get him back safe, Arie."

Arien looked desperately hopeful. "You think he's alive?"

He kissed her. "Mm-hmm. When did I predict something and that didn't come out right? We'll find him safe and sound, don't worry."

She still looked a little dubious. Reno stood up.

"Well, I'm gonna go hound the trail, okay? While it's still warm."

"Where are you going?"

"Junon Spaceport," Reno replied. "Your little boyfriend seems to hold the key to the kidnapping. I think I'll wring out some information from the bastard."

* * *

Cid Highwind, Reno decided as he sat back and latched the seatbelt on, was a nutjob.

Who the hell would like to go into space? He wondered. Highwind wanted to go to space years ago, when the aerospace technology was still in its primeval baby stage and it made noises like whole bunch of midgets working the gears. Reno hated space traveling even now, when the aerospace techies were the hip things of the day and convenience and comfort were the two banners of the space journeys.

"Please plant both feet on the ground firmly and lean back onto the back of your seats," said the mechanical female voice. Reno disobeyed the commands with nonchalance. Those kinds of safety procedures never saved lives anyway. If you were going to die, you're going to die, was Reno's cheerful philosophy.

He felt his stomach sink and watched as the land suddenly dropped. He was airborne. For the duration of the trip into space and to the port on the moon, he was on the phone with his girlfriend, talking about nothing important.

He ate the plane meal, wondering if the 3rd class was any different from the business class he was on except for the leg leeway. The food was tolerable when consumed hot, but when it was cold, it was less than palpable. Reno finished the food as quickly as he could, scorching his mouth in the process, and slept a little. He was awakened by the loud blare of the female voice asking him to plant both feet on the ground firmly yadda yadda.

He got off at the moon base, then carded in his transit as a Shinra employee. "I need to get onto the satellite 154A," Reno explained in a sarcastic drawl.

"Authorization?"

"Administrative sector of the General Research, Shinra Company. Class AA."

Reno was politely escorted into a small spacecraft. Unlike the previous one, this was miniscule. He sat impatiently in his seat, took the luxury of walking around as he was the only passenger, and boarded the satellite as soon as the doors were locked in place.

"Thanks for the ride," he said to no one in particular. 'Okay. Time for business."

He grabbed one of the attendants who seemed to be eager to get somewhere. "I'm here to see John McKinnon?" he said to the petite, brunette female.

"Why?"

"Ask President Shinra, if you really need ta know, yo."

His idiosyncratic speech pattern gave away who he was. She goggled, then replied quickly, "He's in port 23. That's the second door to your left."

"Thanks, lovely," he said, walking away. The door was only a few steps away. He tried the doorknob, rattled it, found it locked.

Looking around and after checking if anyone was around, he pulled out his EMR. He flicked it on, watched as the electricity pulsed up the rod in vivid blue – like Arien's eyes, he mused – then gave a good whack on the doorknob. The doorknob shattered. He turned the rod off and kicked the door open.

Reno could see why Arien had a girlish crush on him during their schooldays. Slim-built with brown hair, he could have passed off as handsome if not for the short nose and an extremely tired, almost dead expression on his face. He was tall, but Reno observed that he stood a little taller. That was interesting. He wasn't exactly tall among the Shinra employees; they all tended to be tall. He was clad in a blue suit that seemed a little worn, and a white shirt. How boring.

He kicked the door shut. The man backed into the white wall.

"Hey, pal," Reno said cheerfully. "How ya feelin' today?"

The man made no answer.

"Ya know, my mum always said that it's impolite to ignore people's questions," he said.

"You're Arien's lover, aren't you?"

Reno's expression did not change, but he was surprised that his words bore such a grudging tone.

"As a matter of fact, yeah, I am," he shrugged. "What does that matter to you? I mean, yeah, she's definitely better looking than your wife, with killer curves and legs, but she ain't yours. You threw away the chance when it was dangling in front of your nose, yo. Your loss."

Jack was getting a little agitated, Reno saw. He decided that he liked it.

"But then," he continued after a thought, "if she got together with you maybe she would have turned into a drab stick like your wife. Maybe it's because of me that she's so wild like that."

"I'm not interested in this tirade," said the man in front of him in a very tired voice.

"Okay, I'll get to the point." Reno took a step forward; Jack was driven to the wall, and could do nothing except stick to the wall like a spider. "Where's my son?"

"Your son?"

"If you haven't noticed, Arien and I are lovers. Yeah, I impregnated her. And yeah, the kid you kidnapped is my kid."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't play stupid with me." He made such an act of pulling out his pistol and grinding its nozzle to Jack's temple. "You might wanna tell me now, because you're about to kiss your brain bye-bye."

Reno could almost see the calculations in Jack's brain. He sneered and said, "Yeah, you tell me now, they might kill you later. You don't tell me now, I will kill you, now. So make your goddamn choice, yo. I'm impatient, I'm horny as fuck and I wanna get back to Arie, and I really wanna shoot something."

Jack's face contorted in fear. Jack saw Reno's amusement in his agony, that he won't feel a thing by pulling the trigger, and he would actually enjoy seeing his brains splatter to the floor.

"Okay, time's up!" Reno said happily. "Kiss your brain goodbye…"

"Wait! Wait!" Jack whimpered. He felt he had lost the control of his bladder. Reno took a step back without the nozzle leaving his temple and said, 'Oh dude, don't pee on my pants, you shithead! Arie won't be happy."

"I was asked by these of men to kidnap your kid," Jack explained, his face now crumpling in fear and tears running down his face. Reno seemed to take even more joy in his humiliation. "They wanted me to get the kid and deliver him to this place."

"Where?"

Jack hesitated.

"Okay. Kiss…"

"The corner of Twenty-Second and Fifth!" John whispered. "There was a temporary hideout place or something there. I took your kid there."

"Okay. Anything else you wanna say?"

"I don't know anything else."

"Alright." Reno thought for a second if he should just pull the trigger anyway, and then decided that Arien should watch him die instead. He reholstered his gun, turned around, and walked to the door. Then he stopped.

"Oh, you might wanna clean yourself up before you walk outside this room, yo," he said grinning. "Catcha later."

With that and a flourish, he was gone.

* * *

Reno liked walking with Arien DeVir, but not when she looked like this.

Arien was a slim woman in the first place; she was tall, with not so much cleavage but with a very visible waist. Because of the vigorous workload, she ate more than he did (sometimes), but she usually maintained a decent look. But now, he wished he hadn't come back. There were dark circles under her eyes, and a haunted look in her blue eyes that was startlingly loathsome to him. It was obvious she blamed herself, but he wished she wouldn't take it to this extent. Her once-healthy body shape had disappeared, making it obvious that she was painfully thin. She had lost weight.

"Oh Arie," he said, throwing the duffel bag onto the sofa, "what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" She snapped. "I've carried your child in my body, I've nurtured him, and I may not see him again. I'm sorry if this isn't impressive enough."

Reno bore her waspish tone and her agonized gaze without a word. Her hair had lost its luster, making it lank. She was in a sweatshirt and a pair of scuffed-up, dirty jeans. She was not herself. He knew she wouldn't be caught dead in these clothes if it were any other day.

"Well, Arie," he said quietly, sitting down next to her, "you can't sit on your ass forever. You gotta get moving, and I'm giving you an assignment."

"How can you even _think_ to do that when I'm like this?" She demanded angrily. "I can't believe you!"

"Well, it might take your mind off some things," he said. "Your lover-boy cracked, so we don't need him anymore. I think it's time we say bye-bye to him. You get to wave the hand."

Arien looked away. "Killing him won't bring Vince back."

"Well, we gotta find him to bring him back, and I need you back in shape to help me find him."

"No, Reno."

Reno pushed her chin toward his face. "Did I just hear a no?"

"Reno…"

"This isn't a request from your lover, baby. This is an order from your commander." He gritted his teeth. "Now do it."

She tightened her mouth, her eyes furious. But she did say, "Yes, sir." Reno wondered if he had permanently pissed his girlfriend off.

* * *

Arien twirled around in front of the mirror. "I don't like this."

"Nobody asked you to." Reno sat on the bed, grinning. "But I do like the fact that my girl is the most beautiful person in the world."

"I guess you can have your opinion," she said wryly. "I'm really pale, aren't I?" She gazed into the mirror, thoughtful. "Maybe I should go to a beach and work on it."

"Arie, you don't tan. You turn lobster pink and then you can't take showers without crying." Reno grinned again, a little glad that Arien could at least talk about things other than Vincent. It was a little disheartening to see her so worn out over her son; it pained him to see her talk about her son. He was glad of his foresight to place a tracer on his son; he was keeping a steady track of the approximate location of his son. The problem was, they seemed to be underground somewhere, which made the job tricky.

He looked at Arien again. She hadn't put make-up on her face yet; the make-up staff would do that to her. Reno had managed to get her into the modeling staff on the runway show, and later, to the after-party. It was at this party that Jack was supposed to appear as a very minor but invited guest. Reno knew too well about Jack's type; pompous ass who tried to pass off as clean and gentleman but a lecher all the same. Most likely he'd come after her.

"I don't have to catwalk," Arien complained.

"But this way he'd see you more. More chance for him to follow you to wherever."

"If he doesn't realize it's me."

"Don't worry, he won't." He patted her rear end. "I'll be in the audience too, so look pretty."

"Why are you going to be there?"

"My guess is that someone high up wants Vince out of the picture," Reno explained. "Most likely he'll be there, maybe even contact McKinnon. I need to check."

"Okay." She shook her head, as if trying to drive away Vincent's presence. It hurt her every time she even remembered his name; it was almost unbearable. On one hand, she wanted to curl up in her bed and not get up. On the other, she wanted to hunt down the kidnapper and kill him. She tried to ignore the two impulses. "I'm glad I don't have to apply make-up myself," she said. "I'm a total imbecile when it comes to those things."

He scooped up a strand of her hair. "Yeah, you are." He looked at the cell phone on the dresser, then dropped it into his pocket. "Time to go, mannequin. Don't flirt with the models."

"I won't." She shrugged. "Hey, Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that we'll get Vincent back safe and unharmed." She looked desperate. "Promise me."

"I promise," he said sincerely. "He's our son, Arien. We're gonna get him back."

* * *

The backstage was bustling with activity, unlike the serene front stage. Arien wondered vaguely how anyone could live in this chaos. It was worse than the minute before Turks had to go out for some assignment, when everyone was in panic to get things right the last minute.

The woman who was doing her hair yanked the brush. She grimaced in pain, watching herself in the mirror as she was transformed from a member of an elite assassination squad to a… what? A human mannequin? Clever hands twisted her hair into an elegant knot at the nape of her neck.

A man dressed in a purple shirt bustled in. "My, what a gorgeous skin," he told his neighboring make-up artist. "She doesn't need any foundation."

"Wutaians have gorgeous complexion," the neighbor agreed.

_Are these people all gay?_ Arien wondered.

"Okay, we'll start with powder. Close your eyes."

When she opened her eyes a few minutes later, she saw absolutely no difference in her face. But apparently he did a lot on her face. She frowned slightly, wondering what exactly the point of it was if it wasn't visible.

"Close your eyes," the man said. She closed her eyes, and felt her eyelids getting pushed this way and that. She felt her eyelashes getting pulled, something cold drawing a line around her eyes.

"Open your eyes."

_I'm not a robot_.

"Close your eyes." She felt a spongy stick rubbing onto the skin between her eyes and her eyebrows. Then she felt nothing, and then she felt cold liquid on her eyebrows.

_What the hell is he doing?_

Something like a pencil was being dragged across her eyebrow area.

_Okay…_

"Open your eyes."

She looked at herself and thought that someone else was there. Her eyebrow was more defined, her eyes colored in soft shades and dark hues of rose and pink. Her eyelashes were longer, casting an eerie shadow onto her cheeks. Her eyeline was extended on the top lids. She looked like an artificial doll so much that she felt slightly threatened by her artificialness.

"Okay, smile."

She tried not to move her mouth as a lipstick was applied onto her lips. Then another shade. Then lipliner. Then something sparkly. Then another shade on top.

"Okay, you're finished," the gay man said after an agonizing 15 minutes. Arien looked at her watch. It took nearly three-fourth of an hour to do her face.

She was rather glad that she was assigned a pin-stripe suit. White shirt, black tie, white pin-stripe suit with black stripes. A beige hat with a black band. She goggled at the black heels presented to her. It was almost like stilts.

"Okay, go get dressed! You have fifteen minutes."

She came out five minutes later, distinctly feeling that she was in her uniform. Another man – this one dressed in skin-tight black shirt with so much gel in his hair that she thought it had crystallized – fussed over her for fifteen minutes, straightening her collar, dusting her lapel off, fixing the hat on her head.

"Okay, okay! Get in line! Get going! Five minutes till the show! Come back in as soon as you're done with the first walk! You have another set!"

_What?_

She had no time to think, as she was jostled into her place. She was shown her pose – one hand on her hip, another dangling free – then she waited for her turn.

Walking under the spotlight frightened her. She was not used to being in any kind of spotlight. Now everyone was staring at her. Her feet moved her along. She struck her pose at the forefront of the stage, turned to the side, struck another, and walked back, passing by the next girl as she went in. The music was some woman singing, mellow and soft-beat.

"Okay, number 162! You're in this dress!"

"What?"

She had no time to question. Her make-up was hastily redone with a slightly different coloring. Her body was jammed into a black dress with white bodice. A fan was roughly thrust into her hand. She had to change her shoes. A flower was jabbed into her hair, and she nearly screamed when the artificial twig got caught in her hair and was yanked out. Modeling, it turned out, was a painful job.

"Okay! Pair up with #243!"

_Pair up_?

It turned out that she had a male model who was going to walk down the aisle with her. "Hey," he said. He was dressed in a white jacket,white shirt, and black slacks. He looked tan; she groaned inwardly, realizing that she would look extremely pale next to this man. He had slight facial hair on his upper lip; his eyes were deep brown. His hair was a little long, ear-length, parted in the middle. Brown hair.

"Okay! 162, 243! Line up!" yelled the coordinator. "243, pace with the girl. You know the works. Look good!"

He smiled at her. "Busy show."

"I got hot-potatoed from one person to another," Arien complained.

"Yeah, that happens. This is my third set."

"Third?"

"Yeah. The mens show is in the next room. And most of the suits feel like you're wearing barbed wire."

Arien found herself feeling completely alone under the spotlight, even though there was a man next to her. She stopped at the forefront again, with one flick of a motion spread a fan a little, then walked back with her partner to the backstage.

"You two are together for the final walk! Stay in your clothes!" The coordinator bellowed at them. "And don't sit! You'll crease the clothes."

"How much more do we have to go?" The man asked. The coordinator cast a cursory glance then replied, "About 7 more people."

"Not too bad." He shrugged. "Oh, by the way, I'm Amedeo."

"Arien."

"You're Wutaian?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I heard that they cast magic spells to keep themselves fit. Is that true?"

Arien cracked a grin. "No. We just eat differently," she said. "I'm really unhealthy, though."

"Obviously not, you're on this show."

"Thanks."

It happened moments before they were called. Amedeo sniffed the flower in the hair, then licked his lips, and said "yum".

As they lined up, Arien surmised that Costans must have overcharged sex drives. Her partner had just flirted with her within the first hour of encounter. She scrunched her eyebrows to the wall, making a face at the white cement. Modeling was definitely not going to be her second career.


	11. 10: The God, The Cult, and Greed

Hello everyone,

I ABSOLUTELY hate myself. I bet you all have forgotten my existence. Or this story's existence.  
Reno: Duh. You kept this on hold for half a year. You kept ME on hold for half a year. You deserve painful death.

No, but really. I had lots going on (AKA college apps, always my excuse, I know). But I'm finally settled on the college (KCL, anyone reading? Ack), writer's block is gone, and the Turks are back. That is, if you're still reading this. If not, I'm SO SORRY! I don't know how to compensate, but I'm going to try. PLEASE dont' abandon me. I told you, I have abandonment issues.

Moonshine's Guide - Arien is one of the most amazing people upon earth who can become a dancing monkey in heels. See, I can't. I'd lose my temper and explode. Besides, I can't exercise that much. I tend to love every single bad food upon earth. Anyway, Jack is going to play a key role, so can't have him die right away. But he will not be happy in the end, I promise. God I hate him. I think Reno hates him too. And everyone else. By the way, are you one of the kind people who might be reading this still?

NarcissisticRiceBall - A lot of people either told me that A: Arien IS a sue, or B: Arien is an anti-sue. I'm trying hard not to make her into this Barbie doll who can do Jackie-Chan level kung fu, because that's just a comedy (yes, imagine Barbie doing kung fu...). Arien's a bit emotional at the moment, so we won't be seeing our gunslinging, cold-hearted Turkdom from her for a while. I hope you're reading this, because I'm finally getting somewhere with this story (yey!). Reno is turning into a turnip mush, though...

Raspberry Polar Bear - MY OLDEST READER, I HOPE YOU'RE THERE! Ivy makes an appearance in this chappie, btw. I know you're still on Arien doesn't really strike as a mother-type, does she? The bad parts of her (IE, the heartless part, the gore-loving part, e.t.c.) is based off me, and well, I'm not really the type who should go to elementary school teaching. Therefore I made Arien fluctuate between hysteria and "I have to keep cool to find him" mode. Reno's losing his catty nastiness, though. Must watch out.

itachi349 - I am utterly amazed at your patience. Even I can't read the entire story without wincing (I'm not a good writer, but I'm improving, and reading my previous works makes me feel embarrassed). But you did it! Did you like Arien? I hope you did. She's one of my darlings (I have a lot of female characters in stock, but she and another girl are the only ones who actually survived) but I don't exactly know if she's a sue or not. I hope you will stay with my slow writing and finish the story.

Cookiekitten - Reno talk is hard to imitate, especially because there's a special way he talks in Japanese that can't really translate into English. I'm trying not to use 3+ syllable words with him - he doesn't seem book-smart - but I bet he knows more slangs than I do (which isn't hard, I didn't know what lapdance was till 9th grade). I liked that particular phrase you mentioned. I think I copied it from somewhere though... the original phrase was "kiss your ass goodbye". Brains seem more gory, so there we are.

Echo - I updated, but I don't know if you're still interested! (cries) I hate Jack, both the character and the original jerk. He didn't pee in front of everybody, but he did cry in front of the class freshman year (best moment of my life... I'm so mean). Reno's tough, so I wanted to make Jack look like a wimp. I wonder how he went home with went pants. "Hello darling, I spilled water all over my pants." "Um, Jack, it smells like urine." "Uh..." (btw, congrats on getting an account! Love your name)

insanity - modelling is really tough, it seems. You need the looks, the smile, and the personality (don't know about the brains... I really wanted to do an IQ test though), and so I'm sure I'll never be Giselle Bundchen (I'm shot down by the first criteria). Arien's dead skinny, though, so I guess she can pull it off. Actually, everyone in FFVII: AC can pull it off except Barret, Cid, Nanaki and Cait Sith. Oh, and Tifa can't do modeling. Her boobs are too big. They look REALLY unnatural to me... yes, I did check Tifa's boobs out. No, I'm not a guy.

Now that apologies have been made (and hopefully accepted), here is the much-awaited chapter:

* * *

Chapter 10: The God, The Cult, and Greed

_A hidden hand in the shadows, waving…_

"_Vincent?"_

_Then the body exploding, turning into pieces of flesh, blood everywhere, the most gruesome death… _

_And her own hands covered in blood…_

"_Vincent, no!"_

_The redhead just doing nothing…_

"_Reno, help me!"_

_Then he explodes as well, red hair dyed scarlet with the child and his own blood…_

_Her turn next… but with those two gone, what is there to live for…?_

"_Arien!"_

"_Go away!"_

"_Arien!"_

"_No! Get away from me!"_

"Arien!"

Arien woke up, sweating. The show was over without much fruit. She was back at home, in her own bed, make-up off her face. Her raven hair was plastered onto her face like sticky tendrils. A slender hand supported her, got her up. Her white tank-top was drenched, as well as her white pants. Sweat. Not blood.

She could not believe it, stared at the white cloth entrapping her body for a few moments. Then she stared into the supporter's face, the familiar blue eyes, the red hair – insane for a Turk which required anonymity – the effeminate face that was hidden under a mischievous grin. Except now. The face was worried, showed immense concern.

Reno. He was alive.

Arien breathed a sigh. Then remembered that Vincent may not be alive. Another weakness in her armor.

Life was so easier when she loved no one, when she held no affection for no one. When no one except herself mattered. Loving someone should be a choice, she thought, not some ensnaring trap that trapped you before you realized that it was too late. Loving someone became a joy but in a short span – overall, it brought anguish, jealousy (which she admitted – grudgingly), and worries. All in all, she drew the wrong card. Picked the wrong bargain.

Reno's hand touched her face. Slightly callused from gripping the EMR, but gentle enough, delicate enough.

"Bad dream?"

"Don't ask." She flopped back down onto the bed with a thump. It was her house. Peaceful, orderly (for now, when Reno wasn't on his usual scavenge for clothes and or food), her world.

She thought of places she had slept in. The bed in her first apartment, where she first willingly gave herself to a man; on grounds; in Shira Tower; Reno's bed (when she had gotten drunk and crashed after Reno carried her in); it was in this bed (most likely) that Vincent was conceived.

So many times they had sought each other, blindly, at times to sate their yearning, at times for comfort, at other times for pleasure. The conversations they had, regarding the most trivial things to their future, uncertain, unplanned.

Arien felt tears running down her face. They were hot, scalding, burning with a living heat of its own.

She had no idea if she wept for herself, for her lover, or for her son.

The neither of them slept that night. They each kept their silence, Reno's arms wrapped around her body, both facing the same direction, saying nothing. But Arien knew that Reno was awake, as she was. 

The call came at early dawn. Reno made a grab for it, releasing her from the warm sheath of his own body. "Hello?"

Arien could not hear the other side, and she gave up after few attempts to discern the caller. The call was short, and Reno's replies were terse, customary. After he hit "end", Reno did not turn back to her, but rather kept his face away from her.

"Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Who was it?"

"Rude." He looked tired; exhausted, even. She realized that Reno was much more active than she was, working harder than she, to compensate for her inability, temporary and otherwise.

"What did he say?"

"We have a lead. Dunno how, but Vince is currently in Junon. The signal came back."

"Junon?"

"Yup."

Arien traced his scars on his naked back – sword slashes, bullet scars – with her finger. She realized that she never actually took a good look at his scars. They were too many to count – just like the hands of women that had touched the back. She felt weak, wondered what he would be doing if she did not enter his life. Probably not ensconced in this mess. It was her fault. "Reno, I'm sorry."

"Oh, my god. The world's gonna end." Reno turned, a faint trace of his old grin on his face. "Arie just apologized."

"Shut up." She smiled a little.

"Alright." He defied her order right away. "Anyway, what were you sorry about?"

"I haven't been much help to you," she said honestly. "I was wallowing in pity. And you were doing all the work."

"Yep."

"And you look so…tired."

"I do."

"And I'm so sorry."

"You should be." He grinned as Arien's expression changed to one of surprise from his audacity. "Just kidding, Arie. I don't expect much from you. Oh, you're capable," Reno amended hastily, realizing that he was talking to Arien, not Elena, and she could explode, "but you… you're a woman, after all. Women do tend to be emotional."

"What!"

"See?" Reno grinned again. "I don't expect you to be a Turk, Arie. I expect you to be my partner."

* * *

Arien did not go to Junon; instead she stayed with Rufus. She did not like the arrangement; but Rufus' order was absolute, and he demanded that Arien and Elena stay with him, while Rude and Reno went to hunt down the heir. 

Just as Arien was sitting on a sofa, organizing a report for Rufus on her laptop, her phone rang. Elena, who was reading the newspaper, noticed it first.

"Arien, your phone's ringing."

"Thanks, Elena." She picked it up, hit "talk". It was Reno. "Hello?"

"Hey babe. It's me."

"Yes, I know. It's called Caller ID."

"Bad news and good news. Which one do you want first?"

"Give me the bad one."

"Alright. We were too late."

Arien's heart nearly stopped beating.

"They got away in a nick of time. God they piss me off." Reno sounded irritated.

"Who exactly is they?"

"Let me get to that in a sec. We're chasing them. They're trying to get to the Northern Crater."

Northern Crater. Where her "brother" Sephiroth had remained in hibernation for so long. Arien did not want to go there; she wanted no one to go there, period. And Vincent, who carried her blood, carried half her gene… she shivered.

"Okay. The good news. We know who's behind this shit."

"Who is it?"

"Clarissa's brother."

"What!" Arien shouted so loudly that Elena jumped. "Clarissa, you mean Rufus' fiancée?"

"Yeah. He hired people though."

Clarissa was the daughter of Junon's mayor. Demure, with auburn hair and bright green eyes, Rufus and she met in the hospital when Rufus became incapacitated. Surrounded by strong, willful women like Elena and Arien, this entrance of a demure, helpless maiden was something new to Rufus Shinra. With struggle, Rufus slowly "succumbed to love", and they became engaged. The Turks did not care much for Clarissa, but since Rufus loved her and well, the Turks loved him in a special way, they decided that Clarissa did not need to be hated.

"Who did he hire?"

"Some weird cult in Junon. They believe in old god and shit, and Clarissa's bro did some fast talking. Oh, and Rufus' lovegirl doesn't know this, don't break the news. We can't have her die on us."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is he doing this?"

"Dunno exactly why, but simple reasoning." Reno's voice echoed. "Only a guess though, so talk over it with Elena before asking for my conclusion."

"But…"

"Gotta go. Oh, and pull up some files on the cult. It's initials are HM. Amedeo's doing some search too, but more info the better." Before she could say goodbye, Reno was gone. Arien shut her phone and sat into the sofa. This was too much. Clarissa…

"What was that? If I may ask?" Elena asked.

"Reno and Rude missed Vince by a nick of time, apparently," Arien explained wearily. "Apparently Clarissa's brother is behind this."

"Rufus' fiancée's brother?"

"Right. Don't tell Rufus. He'll go crazy."

The word crazy and Rufus in the same sentence made Elena giggle. "Alright. Now, why exactly is Clarissa's brother behind all this?"

"Reno didn't tell me. He said the reason is probably simple, but it's only a guess. So he didn't specify."

"Hm."

"What do you reckon?"

"Well," Elena said, putting the newspaper down, "let me ask something first. If Clarissa has a child after marriage, say, who's going to be the heir?"

"Technically, my son, but there's going to be a dispute, of course. But Rufus' infertile. He had mako treatment like us, remember?"

"Then wouldn't it make sense that Clarissa's brother wants Shinra for himself? I mean, if Vince is out of the way," Elena ignored Arien's wince, "Rufus' infertile, who's going to get the fortune after Rufus retires?"

"Rufus is going to retire?" Arien asked, making a strange face. That was a news to her.

"No, but people can be persuaded, even him. And most likely Rufus''ll say yes to anything Clarissa asks, seeing you and Reno."

Arien blushed.

"See? And Tseng listens to me most of the time. So, logic leads to Clarissa's brother getting the fortune."

"Then why don't they just kill him?" Arien asked. "I don't understand."

"I don't know."

Arien sighed. Elena returned to the newspaper. Arien reached over to her laptop and pulled up the search console. She typed in "HM" and "Junon."

It returned 59037 results.

She added "cult".

Still too many.

"I need some leads," Arien said to no one, then pulled out her cell phone from the space between the sofa cushions. She flipped it open, selected "contacts", and looked for the letter Z.

* * *

Ivanna Fletcher's voice sounded cheery as usual. When Arien asked to put Zen on, Ivy did it straight away. She knew that Arien used to be her husband's partner, and had no problem having her husband talk to her best friend. 

"Zen? I need your help," Arien said without a salutation as soon as she heard the male voice.

"Hello, Arien. What is it?"

"I need some information on a cult."

"Cult?"

"Yes. It's stationed at Junon, and it believes in some old god. Its initials are HM."

"That's it?"

"That's what the news source told me."

"Huh." Zen fell silent for a second. "Okay. I'll send you anything I find."

"Thank you, Zen. I owe you."

"Yeah, you do." Zen's guileless laughter traveled into her ear. Arien sighed again. Why did some people live such carefree lives, while Reno and she always had troubles chasing after them?

* * *

When Reno came home three days later, he found Arien in a near nervous breakdown. 

He first opened the front door, but to his dismay, the house was empty. Guessing that she was probably at the office, he drove to the new Shinra office. To add to his surprise, Arien was not in her office. Her things were there alright; jacket, laptop. But her physical body, her keys, her cell phone, her tags were not there. Nor her guns.

Fearing and hoping at the same time, he opened Elena's door. He sent Rude home at the airport, and no doubt that the bald partner was probably sleeping by now.

"Reno, can't you knock? What if I was busy?"

"What? With Tseng?" Reno quipped, trying to lighten his fears. "Have you seen Arien?"

"She's always in the training room from 9 to 12, 2 to 5."

"Why?" he asked himself as he walked the corridor and to the elevator. Arien's job was mainly dealing with information and new trainees, and had no business with physical combat that required that rigorous of training. Entering the elevator with a frown on his face that nearly scared the young male in the elevator into jumping out, he pressed number 3 on the side panel. When the door slid open, he walked out, nearly crashed into a secretary carrying a tray of cups of coffee. He reached the door that was labeled "Training – Lvl 8 and Above Only". He swiped his keycard through the slot and opened the door.

Arien was there, dressed in grey spandex suit that revealed her bodyline more than he cared for, sparring a young man. Or more accurately, beating him up.

"Arie!" He shouted, but the grunts and the harsh noises overruled his voice. "Arie!" he shouted louder. "Arien!"

Arien stopped, turned her head, looked at him. Her look told him that she did not register him.

"Arie, give the poor guy some break. You're not training, you're just beating the crap outta him. You're a Turk, he's not. Stop."

Arien's look was a clear refusal.

"Look. If you want to hit someone that much, I'll spar with you, okay, yo?" Without waiting for her reply, he nodded to the young lackey. "You can go."

The young man looked confused. This poor young being had no idea that Reno was a higher ranking officer than the she-demon that was beating him into a big bruised mess, he stood there. All he knew that Arien was one of the officers in command, and contradicting her command may mean death for all it worth.

"Look! I'm the highest ranking officer in this room! Now go!" Reno barked. "Or otherwise I'll have your ass roasted on the 8th floor!"

Everyone knew that 8th floor was Turks' floor, but nobody knew what really went on there. The man ran away faster than a rabbit being chased down by a hungry wolf.

"Okay. Now, Arien." He turned to the woman who was standing there. "I can't have you beating up young kids, alright? That's bad PR. That being said," he walked to her, "I'm back."

Reno expected some caustic reply. Instead, Arien crumbled in his arms.

"Dude! What's wrong, yo?"

"I don't know." She clung onto him like a small infant. Her grey spandex-clad arms looked thin, as if it was made of some glass and would break. She looked up at him. "It's really you, right? Reno? It's really you? I'm not dreaming?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure I'm me." He made her sit, then kneeled. "What happened?"

Without a word, she began to cry. He scooped her up onto his knees – she was so small and slight these days, her face looked gaunt and skeletal – and embraced her. "Arien, what happened?"

Arien was soaked in sweat. Her hair smelled of lavender. He felt wet, warm tears on his neck. He bent his head, and continued to cradle her in his arms as she cried.

* * *

For the next mission, Arien's name was down on the list. Reno convinced Rufus that if Arien stayed in The Edge, she would cease to function as an agent. Rufus seemed reluctant, but finally nodded yes. 

Zen and Amedeo had compiled a report about the cult. It seemed that they were waiting for the arrival of "The Old God", who was long believed to be the creator of the world in Junon before modern civilization arrived. He was a ferocious god, unwilling to be kind, vengeful, and angry. As Arien read the report, she thought that Junonese must have some fundamental fear that they harbored all their lives. Without question, of course; they lived by a large sea, prone to more natural disasters than say, Midgar, which used to be safely cradled by a prairie.

"According to the recent document which is believed to be created by some Junon priests couple of years ago, The Old God requires a receptacle to be reborn," the report said, "to be sacrificed at the next lunar eclipse. The receptacle must be a male child, said to be a miracle of some kind, born from a woman who lives twice."

"Man, that's Vince," Reno said as he read it beside her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were supposed to be sterile. But you got pregnant, and that's already a miracle, and if you didn't sleep around, which I don't think you can, then he must be my kid, and that's another miracle, right?"

"Erm… okay. Me living twice, then?"

"Well, you were officially announced dead once, remember? I gave you a nice, expensive funeral. Which you wasted."

Arien's eyebrows shot up, which he saw. He laughed.

"Anyway, how many kids fulfill this list? Not many."

"Reno?"

"Hmm?"

"Do… do you think we'll find him?" Arien dared not add "safe and sound". Right now, it seemed to be too hopeful, and she did not want to get her hopes up.

"Sure we will. Why not?"

"Just asking," Arien said, and rested her head on his shoulder as they both leaned on the headboard. "Just asking."

* * *

They landed at the Junon heliport dressed in regular clothes, because, as Reno said, "it's easier to get people talking when we look normal." 

It was extremely hot, and Arien was wearing a baby pink collared no-sleeve shirt with a dark brown light skirt. Reno looked less ordinary, with a bright colored short-sleeve button-down shirt and beige slacks.

"We look tourists," Arien said as she looked in the bathroom mirror.

"That's my point."

They checked in at the local hotel under the name Henderson – an ordinary name which Arien picked – and walked around the town. They took lunch at a small restaurant, trying to maintain calm but all anxious to get people to talk.

"Where shall we go?" Arien asked as the sun began to set. Reno's arm was around her shoulder, which was comforting.

"I know a place. Small. Not many famous people go there."

"Are you sure they won't know you?"

"I want them to know me, babe. They usually keep their mouth shut with a bit of gil, and local tourists wouldn't ask for news now, would they? Gun ready?"

Apocalypse and Cataclysm, Arien's gunblades, did not quite fit well under her arms without her uniform jacket. Therefore she was wearing a thigh holster with a small pistol sheathed.

"Yes."

"Good. Let's go."

The "local bar" that Reno had found was as dingy and small as it could be. Reno opened the door without hesitation, letting Arien in first. She looked around quickly; it was all males, mostly dirty, and all looked at her like she was some kind of delicious fruit ready to take a bite out of. She wished she was in men's clothes; this set made her feel awkward. Not vulnerable, but slightly different from usual. The counter was in the back, the only lighted place in the dark bar. Reno led her to the counter, dodging wandering hands.

"Beer," Reno ordered as he leaned on the counter. "Fay?"

Arien wondered who "Fay" could be for a second, then realized that Reno was using fake names. "fruit cocktail," she replied.

"Hey, any news lately?" Reno asked the bartender as he began to shake up the cocktail.

"Mm, yeah. Some odd news here and there."

Arien's mind wandered as the bartender talked about the local news; how Johnny from the street down had an accident; how the tides this year were higher than usual; the stories were so local, so ordinary, that Arien began doubting whether Reno really had used this old man as a source of information before. Then:

"The Hands of Mafi are active, I've heard."

"What's that?" Reno asked, drinking beer.

"You know, the local cult? The one who believes about The Old God? They're a bit noisier than usual, Feri said."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, they keep coming and going, and they have lot more people in the temple than usual, which is odd. Saw some of them leave town few days ago."

Arien grasped Reno's hand under the counter. Reno grasped back.

"Any other news?"

"Apart from Teena having another kid, no."

"Thanks. How much?"

"That's a beer and a cocktail, so 4 gils."

Reno slapped 80 gils. "Keep the change."

As they walked outside, Arien looked at the man walking next to her. He looked back. And smiled.

* * *

That night, Arien did not sleep. Now that few more keywords were available, it was time to put it to good use. Reno, exhausted, fell asleep on the bed, half-naked and sprawled across the sheets; Arien, sitting at the desk, was busy searching. 

By the morning, Arien's head was fuzzy, her fingers were tired, but she definitely had a lead. When Reno woke up, there was a smile on Arien's face, the first in few weeks.

"Any good news?" He asked, stretching. He got off the bed and began to make coffee.

"Lots." Arien pointed to the document on the screen. "I made a report, but I'll tell you the main points."

"Yeah. I hate long stories."

"I know." She scrolled through the pages. "First, the Hands of Mafi is believed to have originated here, but the legends say that when The Old God is reborn, he will be reborn in an icy cave. Thus, they're heading to the Northern Crater."

"Mm." Reno handed Arien a cup, which she took with a word of thanks.

"Next, they're going to do some sacrificial ceremony spanning three days, the last day being the lunar eclipse."

"When is that?"

"In a month and two days. Third, they need certain members to be present at the ceremony, but the clues are cryptic, and I have no idea what they are."

"What are they?"

"A dotted priest, a traitor, the holy chalice, the jealous one's blood, and the claw. At the moment of eclipse, they will plunge a golden knife into the receptacle's heart, and The Old God will be reborn."

"Where is this cave?"

"Apparently the location is written within their temple, but the person couldn't read it."

Reno cocked his head. "I wonder why."

Arien's eyes widened. "We need Elena."


	12. 11: The Past and the Present

I'm alive, and I'm still here! (claps)

Anyway, I have the next five chapters written out, but I'll be releasing them week by week... can't spoil the excitement, can we? Lots of submitted OC's from you will be appearing soon, since Reno and Arien are going to need all the help they can get. Hehehe.

itachi349 - I'm glad you like her. I was kinda hoping that she'd hook up with Rufus first, because... I'd NEVER EVER want to marry Reno. That's just a sure way to ruin _my_ life. If I married Rufus I'd probably never see him around because he's too busy, but his plastic is MY plastic! I'd be buying Saks 5th Avenue... or maybe he'd already own it, which means that I'd just waltz in, empty the apparel department, and leave. What a great life.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - Thanks! I'm planning a major rehaul of the previous two stories because I can't read it without groaning and blushing in embarrassment :-S This one doesn't have such writer-incapability-induced awkwardness. Gawd I was such an awkward writer back then. I like the couple of following chapters, because I didn't really have to struggle with any of the scenes, and it was very fun to write them.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster - Yes, this story is still alive! And Michele is making an appearance soon! I'm updating every week, nice and easy. No, your character isn't hyper in the story (yet). The story is sprinting forward, and so are the characters... Cloud and Tifa, Vincent Valentine are all going to make appearances in this story (sorry, not Cid, because he's not my love of my life... well, neither's Cloud, but he's popular. It's all popularity contest.)

Moonshine's Guide - Rufus received mako treatment soon after he was healed of geostigma... don't ask me how, because I just made that up right now in my chair. But yes, he's sterile, just like Cloud, Sephiroth (giggle), and everyone else who received mako treatment. Yes, Arien apologized... and that will probably be the last time that we'll ever hear it. I don't know why cults are so badassed. But I've never heard of a nice cult...

Raspberry Polar Bear - YEY! YOU'RE STILL HERE! Just like Ivy's Arien's mental support (it's NOT Reno), you're mine! Oops... yeah, it's the same phrase, not the same sentence. Obviously I'm not going into linguistics for college. I think it was really a surprise for everybody that Arien apologized, because... well, Reno here says she's a righteous old bitch, and so I guess that's what she is. Rufus saw Clarissa in a hospital back in 'Footsteps of life' at the end.

* * *

Chapter 11: The Past and the Present 

Elena arrived the next day armed with a PDA and two large duffel bags. When Elena called, Arien was sleeping, and Reno was smoking on the veranda. Hearing the hotel phone ring, he ran into the room and picked up the phone, not wishing to wake up the sleeping woman.

"Yeah?" It was Reno's habit to never start a phone conversation with a more polite greeting terms, such as "hello".

"Hello, Mr. Henderson. There's a woman wishing to speak with you." Concierge. Reno hated concierges. For some reason that he could not understand, they reminded him of a sick puppy he had seen in the alley as a small child.

A woman...? No, he had not ordered a hooker, or a stripper, as far as he could remember. Tseng was too damn serious to do some prank like that. Arien had too much respect for herself to go mingle voluntarily with such a crowd. Elena would directly call his cell. He had no idea who she was. "Alright. Put her on."

It was Elena. Her piping voice filled his ear. "Reno. Where are you?"

"I'm in Room 205." He stopped. "Why the hell didn't you call my cell?"

"Because you didn't pick it up!"

"Ur..." He could not remember if he heard the phone ring. "Okay, whatever, yo."

"I'm booked in Room 311. Can I see you two in about two hours?" Elena sounded breathless, like she had been running.

"Uh." He looked at the sleeping figure. "How about three?"

"Why? Anything wrong?"

"Arien just fell asleep two hours ago, and she's exhausted," Reno expounded. "I wanna give her a few more hours."

"Okay. Three then. In your room, I'm still in a mess." The phone clicked. He returned to the veranda. The sea breeze was fresh, not hot and enveloping like Costa, but cool and a little harsh on the skin. Sticking his left hand in the jean pocket, feeling the air on his naked chest, he smoked, enjoying the fragrance in the mouth.

Arien woke up two hours later, looking sleepy and childish, when Reno was in bed watching TV, still smoking. She rubbed her eyes like a cat in a circular motion, then touched his arm. Her naked shoulders between the sheets looked extremely feminine to him, as well as the long raven hair spread out on the pillow.

"Awake?"

"Mm, mmm." She stretched, adjusting the straps on her pyjamas. She slithered up until she was leaning onto the headboard beside him. She leaned onto his shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"Mm."

"It'd help if you actually spoke, yo," Reno said, slightly prodding the female.

"I don't have anything to say except that you smell of…" she stopped.

"Smell of what?"

"Cigarettes and the usual." She shrugged. "Mm, I love your smell. Is Elena here?"

"Yup. She's gonna meet us here in…" he looked at the clock. "An hour."

"When did she say that?"

"While you were sleeping." He switched the TV off with a remote. "Hey, Arie?"

Arien, who had slid out of the sheets and was now looking for a shirt, grabbed Reno's and wore it without much thought. The T-shirt was too large for the woman and gave her a very lost look. "What?"

"Promise me something?"

"Alright, what is it?"

"When we get Vince back and we get back home," he said seriously, "I'm going to fuck your brains out."

The said Turk, who was now in the process of looking for her jeans, turned. She stared, then began to laugh. "Of all the times you say that now," she said, laughing. "You had your chance four hours ago."

* * *

When Elena knocked on the door, the bed was made, if sloppily, and all traces of personal life had disappeared. Guns and EMR were in sight, as well as maps, pens, and two laptops. Arien looked much more comfortable in jeans and a simple t-shirt; she was on an online conference with Rufus, reporting the progress. She wiggled her bare toes as she talked into the microphone, sitting cross-legged in the large chair. 

"Yes, sir. Yes, that's why we needed Elena," she explained as she moved the cursor on the screen, pointing at a certain point on the map. "We can't go today, but we know where the temple is. We'll infiltrate it tomorrow. No, we'll go regular."

"Will you be returning to The Edge as soon as you get the information?" Rufus' voice sounded metallic.

"Negative. Reno and I'll be heading to the next location. Elena, I believe, will be returning."

"I see." The president paused. "Arien, are you hiding something?"

Arien looked up into the mirror that was nailed to the wall, and saw Reno gesturing wildly behind her to keep her mouth shut.

"No, sir."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm certain, sir."

"Very well then." Rufus let go, or so Arien believed; the young President could get quite manipulative if he wished, and she knew that he could get the information out of anyone, even the Turks. "Oh, and Arien?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I want a full report when you two get back."

"Yes sir."

"Connection closed", the pop-up told her. Turning around, she saw her coworker and now her friend. "Hello, Elena. Thank you for coming."

"I left Rufus to Rude," Elena said jovially. "I was getting a little exhausted with The Edge."

"And being with Tseng every night," Reno said quietly with a smirk. Elena blushed and tried to punch Reno, which he expertly dodged.

"Bahamut! I was only guessing!" He cried as he dodged the second attack. "Why am I always attacked by women?"

"Because you're rude," Elena countered.

"No, I'm not. I'm Reno."

"Oh, shut up!"

"That's it? You still need to polish your comebacks, blondie!"

"Reno!"

The two jumped and stopped the bickering. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Sorry Reno, but as the commander of informational tactics I'm going to have to overrule your amusements." Her choice of words told the two that she was now all business; Reno glared at her, but she calmly ignored it. "Right then. Tomorrow, preferably at 800 hours, we will begin our infiltration into the Temple."

"Where is this temple?" Elena asked.

"See this place where there used to be a big elevator up to the parading grounds?" She tapped the sliding pad on the computer and showed the location marked by a cross. "Right beside it."

"And how are we going to get there?"

"Since the former Shinra facility is no longer operating, we'd have to pose as Shinra security officials here to check," Arien explained. "We'd get into the elevator, go down to the bottom floor. Then we'd have to use what you brought, Elena."

"I don't know what I brought," Elena confessed. "Tseng just gave it to me before I left. He said that Reno knew how to use it."

"Left the bedroom or left the office? There's a big difference, yo."

"Reno."

"Okay, okay." Reno looked at Elena, then at his girlfriend and winked. Arien pretended that nothing had happened.

"What you brought in the duffel bag is a drilling missile launcher," Arien told Elena in a cool matter-of-fact tone.

"A what?" Elena's eyes widened.

"It's a big drill with a missile at the end," Reno explained. "Stick it into the wall, drills a hole and then blows it up to break the wall."

"Right." Arien clicked on one a blinking icon, and another screen came up. "Now, if we blow up the right wall we should come to one of the unused rooms of the temple. From there, we'd have to decipher where they're headed next."

"And where do I come in?"

"The clues are written on the walls of the main chamber," Arien said as she closed her laptop. "They're written in Middle Junonese, or so the report said. Reno's clueless except for Common and Costan, and I've only studied Junonese briefly. Your profile said that you've specialized in Middle and New Junonese at school."

"You want me to translate."

The two nodded in unison.

"Okay." Elena nodded. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"The ceremony which is to take place in a month requires certain people to be present," Arien explained. "Any details leading to those people, locations, items needed, time. That sort of thing. Of course, we're going to videotape the walls, so you don't have to come, if you don't want to."

"No, I'll go. There might be things that you two miss that I might need to know.." Elena looked around, saw that the informational meeting was finished.

"Are we done?" Reno yawned. Arien nodded.

"Um, Arien?" Arien turned to see Elena.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course." She stood up. "Do you want me to kick Reno out of the room?"

"Hey!" came the protest.

"N… no. You can come to my room."

"Alright." Arien stood up, grabbed the keycard. "Don't shoot when I open the door."

"Right. I'm gonna be sleeping, so don't expect me to open the door."

"I'll see you at 7 then," Elena said. The two women walked out the door. As soon as Arien was sure that they were out of Reno's earshot, she opened her mouth. "What's wrong?"

"Are all Wutaians like that?"

The elevator came, so Arien was unable to express her surprise verbally. Instead, she just showed it on her face. Elena did not see her bewildered expression; Arien just saw it on the mirrored walls of the elevator.

"Like what? What do you mean?" she asked as Elena pushed "3".

"Well, Tseng and I…" Elena stopped. "Do you know?" The elevator door slid open, and the two walked out the cubicle. Elena turned left and opened the second door down left from the elevator lobby. The room was orderly, with books piled on the desk.

"Coffee?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks. Can I sit?" Seeing Elena nod, Arien pulled out a chair and sat down. Elena sat down across from her, a coffee cup in her hand.

"Back to the question," Arien said, "I do know that you two have a relationship. I don't know how far," Arien admitted honestly. "Wutaians are more reserved than Midgarians, and we all know that Costans know no inhibitions." Elena smiled. "So I wouldn't know, Elena."

"Well… we're about as intimate as I want," Elena confessed, blushing and looking down.

"You mean, about as Reno and me?"

"I guess so. Yes."

"What's wrong, Elena?" Arien asked curiously. "Why are you looking down?"

"Well… Tseng seems to feel guilty about…"

"Your relationship?" Elena nodded. Arien could see it. She herself did not really have that much inhibitions about premarital sex than say, Tseng; after all, she was much more liberated than her boss, who was from the priest class and therefore extremely conservative about those things. Sure, the Wutaian had shed most of the inhibitions carefully grained into him throughout childhood, but sexuality was rarely touched and most deeply grained. Tseng happened to be one of those people who were dedicated to rules and beliefs, the complete opposite from the redhead.

"He looks so guilty about it," Elena said sadly. "We aren't doing anything wrong! But…"

This was the difference between Midgarians, who were a little more liberal, and Wutaians, who were conservatives to the extreme. Arien remembered her father; he seemed to like Reno to a certain degree, but the fact that they were unmarried and were living together seemed to be almost heretical to him. And her father was not from the priest class! Elena might think that they aren't doing anything wrong, but Tseng was probably damning his soul.

"Elena," Arien said gently, "I used to think like that too, so I know how Tseng feels. We Wutaians believe that premarital relationships mean lack of self-control to wait." She stopped, remembered how in her childhood she had seen her friends' elder siblings unable to even hold hands because "it wasn't right". "Most of us have arranged marriages," she explained. "We can't even hold hands until we're engaged."

"But you…"

"Tseng is from the priestly class. His education was more conservative. I'm from a lower class than that, and my family left Wutai when I was young. I grew up in Midgar. Though, I don't think I would have stepped into a relationship with Reno if I wasn't panicking." She smiled, remembering the night; they had been ambushed, one thing led to another. That young Arien was not thinking straight; all she had known was that she felt extremely attracted to the man, and she would not regret the consequences, no matter what. Well, Arien sometimes wondered what would have happened if there was no ambush that night, or if Tseng had more sense than to house her in the same apartment complex as the redhead. But that wasn't exactly regretting.

"There's nothing wrong with you two, and you know that," Arien said. "There's nothing wrong expressing love to one another with more than just words. But for us, virginity is sacred, a gift given to the husband on the wedding night. It's the only thing the woman can give to the husband, while the husband will provide monetary support for the rest of her life. Women rarely work after marriage on the island, Elena."

"But you're working," Elena pointed out. "Why is that?"

"I like working." Arien smiled again, a gentle smile to a friend. "But if I quit, I think Reno's earnings will feed us. You know," Arien said, breathing out, "Reno was my first. Did you know?"

"No!" Elena was surprised. "I knew you had a previous boyfriend, and so…"

Darren. "Darren was more of a mentor for me," the Wutaian mused. "I was like his sister, and he was very idealistic about love. Reno is extremely physical. When he's angry, he destroys things. When he's happy, he laughs. Anyway, I gave my gift to Reno, and I don't regret it. That's the point. But Tseng can't see the meaning behind the rules, I think. We're all adults – I even have a child – and by all means you should be able to express love freely to whoever you want to without rules and inhibitions."

"What can I do?" Elena asked somberly. "I think Tseng likes me, and I love him, but he looks tortured! It's almost as if he thinks what he's doing is wrong."

Were Turks even allowed to have emotions like love? Arien had no idea. She had never really heard of a relationship between two members of the squad, but then, she had never really studied the lives of her predecessors. Vincent Valentine had fallen in love with Lucrecia Crescent, and well, he really didn't have a jolly time.

But then, Turks were also human beings, no matter what the general population thought. They all had their first kills, they all shed their tears in one way or another. Rude's secret (well, quiet, Arien amended) affection for the owner of Seventh Heaven was so old and well-known that Reno had given up joking about it. These kind of things were expected, weren't they?

"To him right now, what you two are doing is wrong," Arien reminded her. "Reno and I didn't have much time to do the regular courting steps before we went to the last step, so I won't be able to be much help, but give Tseng some time, Elena. He's shed some inhibitions before, and he's clever." She cracked a grin. "I think Reno presents a certain epitome for him – a bad example of a Turk. Reno's liberal about that kind of thing, and he certainly gets into bad scrapes sometimes, so maybe Tseng wants to go the opposite."

"Will he understand?"

"I think so. Worst comes worst, just marry him." Elena smiled at that. "There's nothing wrong with it; just show him that there's nothing wrong with two mature adults showing that they love each other. It's not physical yearning, Elena; it's communication, and nothing's against that."

* * *

Reno was taking a nap. Arien was gone, and knowing that they were women, Elena and she would be talking for a while. Reno thought that this would be a nice time to nap. He really needed to sleep; his head felt fuzzy. 

It was only fifteen minutes after he had wandered off to the dreamland when his cell phone trilled out the Electrical Parade. It was an extremely silly tune but Reno thought it was hilarious. Arien thought it was annoying. Now he was starting to see her point.

"What!" he shouted without looking at the caller ID.

"Uh… Reno? It's Amedeo," said a voice, sounding taken aback. "Is it bad time?"

"Dude, I was sleepin, yo. You woke me up."

"Sorry." He really sounded sorry. "I just needed to tell you that Clarissa's brother came to see his sister two days ago."

"You woke me up just for that!" Reno fumed.

"Well, his brother never visits her. And now he suddenly decides to share brotherly love? That's out."

"Huh." Reno stretched his arm. "Any clues about what he said to the girl?"

"Yeah. Wanted to know when she was getting married."

Something was up. He was alert now. "Fucking bastard," he said to the phone.

"Oh, and looks like your kid is safe for now. They can't kill him till the ceremony."

"Why?"

"Because he has to be… er… sacrificed on the night of the lunar eclipse."

"That git. Thinks he can outsmart us." Reno murmured. "Wrong choice."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Hey, Reno?"

"Yo."

"Is your wife there?"

"Hold on a sec," Reno said. "First of all, Arie ain't my wife. Second of all, no, she ain't here. Third of all, why dya wanna know?"

"Just wondering." Amedeo's voice sounded very suspicious. "It's surprising."

"What?"

"I thought you went for… well, curvy types."

"What the hell do you mean?" Reno demanded.

"Well, you know, Scarlet type."

"And?"

"Arien isn't your type, that's all." Amedeo laughed. "See ya." Before Reno could say anything, Amedeo had disconnected.

Reno threw the innocent phone onto a chair, then lay back, arms under his head, thinking. Arien wasn't his type, that much was true. He personally liked feminine types; most of those he had dated were blatantly sexual.

Arien had none of those. She was not talkative. She was decisive. She was like a steel wire. She wasn't fragile, like the Cetra, or gentle, like Tifa. She didn't have cleavage. She was delicate, yes, but not fragile. Thin but supple and sturdy. She was prideful, hard, determined.

Her face? It was exceptional, beautiful even, but it was not to his taste. He liked certain gentleness in women's faces, like Aeris' or Tifa's. Arien did not qualify. Her eyes were much more slanted than he would have liked; in fact, when she actually put make-up on she ended up looking like a fox. Since he greatly resembled a cat, a fox did not balance. It did not help that she rarely showed feelings but usually had a vague smile on her face that gave a sly, unknown expression, or a frown.

What exactly did he first see in her? He remembered that his first intention was just to sleep with her, but what made him think that?

_You wanted to see her crumble. You wanted to see the prideful shell break down._

He remembered the eyes. The first time he saw her, through the window on the wall. Arien, new and tense, sitting in the next room, her new office. Then she had looked at him, her eyes full of challenge. _Don't touch me,_ the eyes had said. _I'm not cheap, and I can fight back._

Reno had known many women, and could tell which did not know men and which were experienced. Arien's naïve protective stances, her extreme aversion to public displays of sexuality, were flashing signs that she had never known man. Reno liked women, but he liked dominance even more, the sense that the woman was his, mentally enslaved to him. Arien was like an expensive fruit, hard to get but untouched, fresh and unblemished, her virginity like an expensive crystal glass that was just begging to be shattered. Reno had felt the desire to blemish her, enslave her, make her his own.

It was an expensive bargain.

The hunter became the hunted, and they had both fell into the trap. They had made it themselves, Reno knew; but no matter how much they struggled to get out, the ropes grew tighter and tighter.

* * *

After the talk, Arien left the room to return to her own. She entered the room, sat down on a chair that was facing the veranda. And blew out a puff of air. "I'm never going to join any religion," she declared. 

Reno did not reply. He was staring out the glass panels leading to the veranda, sitting the wrong way on a wooden chair, facing Arien, hugging the back of the seat.

"Amedeo said that Vince is safe for now," Reno reported.

"Why? How does he know?" She leaned forward, as if her movement will allow her to get the news faster.

"Because Vince gotta be sacrificed on the night of the lunar eclipse, or some shit like that. Won't happen," Reno hastily added, seeing Arien's lips tremble, "but he's safe for now, yo. By the way, what did you guys talk about?" Reno asked, not looking at her.

"Oh, the girl talk. Men. You."

"Me?"

"Yes. You came up in the discussion quite often." Arien leaned back and crossed her legs. "Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you regret the past?"

Taken aback, Reno sat up straighter, looked at her with question in his eyes. Had she read his mind? "What do ya mean? There are loads I should regret about, but if I did regret all of them I'd be a wailing idiot like Chocobo Head, yo."

"No." She shook her head. Her loose hair flopped down, casting a shadow on her left cheek. "Do you regret… me?"

"What do you mean, me?"

"Well, being with me. This relationship."

"Why ask?"

"Well…" she looked at her nails, but Reno could tell that she wasn't paying attention to them. "If… if you left that morning, we wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here. You might have gone through less pain." She did not specify which morning, but they both knew which particular morning she was talking about. Their first morning together.

The first step into the trap.

Reno stopped, looked up at the ceiling with a pensive expression. "Not really," he said finally. "I mean, I did go loads because I was with you – like I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't exactly jump into your bed that night – but I've lost you twice and I know how it feels, you not being around, Arie. It feels… weird," he said, gesturing with his hand. "So no, I don't regret it." He looked at her. 'Do you?" Did she know what it felt to lose him? Of course not. She had never _lost_ him. Never in her life had she truly feared him dead, or found him missing from her life.

It wasn't painful. It was numbing. All the senses became blurred, dull. Noises had silenced, colors became dull, and taste became bland. Reno remembered himself, when Arien was gone. He had killed more, fought more, drank more, all to feel. None of them had worked.

"I think I made the right choice that night," Arien said quietly. "I decided to give my gift to someone I knew I wouldn't regret."

"Even though you nearly died because of me?"

Arien shrugged. "I shot you. You shot me. We're even."

"You shot my arm. I shot you in the chest."

"Reno." Her expression was delicate, caring. Just as he had changed, so had she. "Are you still beating yourself about that? I told you, there's nothing to forgive."

"Yeah, but…"

"Shh." Arien silenced him. "It's over, Reno. That nightmare's over."

* * *

"Arie, I've just thought of something." 

Arien looked at him, her eyes slightly squinting between the contrast of the darkness of the room and the bright sunset outside. It was few hours later, and they had moved to the bed, still fully dressed. "I hope it's not a long thought. It's getting late and I'm fried."

"The return of the Old God and shit, I'm hoping to Shiva that I'm wrong, but…"

"But what?"

"What if the Old God happened to be Sephiroth? What if he made a comeback?"

Arien stopped breathing for a moment. "If it's my so-called brother trying to make a comeback to this world," she said finally, "I'm going to ask him to please find another receptacle and leave our poor son alone. And preferably find another planet to plague." Her look grew stern. "He's a memory now," she said. "Memories shouldn't come alive."


	13. 12: Fates and Chances

Hello to my readers! An update, right on time. I have several things on my mind about this series... I'm debating whether to do a major rehaul on the previous two (should I? Your input would help), write a prequel to C'est La Vie. I'm going to start on "Father, Why Hath Thou Forsaken Me", which is a Sephiroth fic, when this series is over.

I do have the final chapter and the epilogue written out now. Let's just say that there are going to be bikinis around, heh heh heh...

Raspberry Polar Bear - I think Arien'd just love to ditch the family reunion. Personally, any family with Sephiroth in it is just dysfunctional and less contact the better. (I wonder if Sephiroth went to a family reunion in his life... that might be funny). Oh wait. Any family with any of Shinra people in it (except Elena, probably) is going to be dysfunctional. Anyway, Tseng is a very conservative dude... and Elena's a little more liberated, and that can cause problems. I personally liked "No I'm not, I'm Reno"...

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - Erm, I'm not sure. I haven't really decided yet :-P so it's for a surprise. I'm getting a little tired of Sephiroth being the master bad guy everytime, though. So maybe not. But any more divulging and it'd be spoilers so I won't :-) I do have the last chapter and the epilogue written out, but I had the inspiration when I was playing some random "I Spy" game on my computer... yes, I'm that bored... A bit of theosophy in this chapter.

Moonshine's Guide - I had three OC's, and all of them will be playing a role in this story, large or small. So yes, Michele will be making an appearance in three chapters or so. Clarissa's brother isn't a nice guy... he has his reasons for visiting his constantly ill sister. I'm not sure why she's sick, though - tuberculosis, maybe? Do those even exist on Gaia? Anyway, Rufus also has reasons for hanging around the auburn haired beauty, but Clarissa's bro's a little more sinister.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - It may or may not be Sephiroth making a return... if it was Sephiroth, though, I'd have to make calls to Cloud and Tifa, and I don't like writing Cloud, because he worries too much and I'm the exact opposite :-S I found it interesting that the One Winged Angel's theme originally came from Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze, though. And the words are from Orff's Carmina Burana. I never knew they were in Latin until I read the lyrics :-P

itachi349 - Yup, you guessed it right! I ripped that last line off from Sephiroth's last line in AC. Sephiroth's lines kinda gets on my nerves, but I guess I can forgive all the "I'm cool" junk because Sephiroth is cool. But if some random not-so-pretty guy said those, I'd probably punch him in the face... Sephy's unreal to me, though. I can't imagine Sephiroth eating, or sleeping. He's... ethereal. And that is why we all love Sephiroth.

_

* * *

_

Chapter 12: Fates and Chances

_The fate speeds on._

_Ah, so it seems, brother._

_Why pick these two? They seem unlikely candidates. Hardly responsible and not moral at all._

_I thought it'd be interesting, dear brother._ The light wavered.

_It is a large risk. We can't have them die, sister. He sates my hunger._

_As does she. We all take risks to earn more._

* * *

The gods, Arien thought wearily, definitely did not like them.

Arien was not exactly religious. She did not have a particular god that she liked or felt attached to, although if she had to pick one she would probably pick one that was dedicated to eating, since she liked to eat. The matter of faith was that trivial for her. But she prayed to whatever god was convenient at the time; before battle, she prayed to the god of battle, before voyage, to the god of the sea. It was more of a self-reassurance, rechecking her mental stability, rather than actually trusting any deity.

But now, lying in bed, next to the redhead who was fast asleep, not exactly wide awake but not completely exhausted either, she really had to wonder who was laughing at her twisted fate. Even Cloud and the gang didn't have to go through all this, did they? It felt like someone was having fun picking on her. Or maybe it was just a bad karma. Hell, she probably had shit coming if karma actually existed. She'd destroyed lives and happiness to bathe herself in tears and blood.

She knew exactly what Reno thought of the gods. If he was forced to pick one, he would probably pick the god of lust, partly because he himself moved for pleasure and entertainment, but partly as a joke. For Reno gods may exist, but they didn't really play a role in his life. The gods could care about their own business and not meddle in his. For him, there were yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and that was it.

Did the gods really hate you for not worshipping them? Was faith a mandatory part of life?

As far as Arien could see, some people were moving along fine and dandy without giving a hoot about gods. Andora the airhead, for instance.

Why them? What had they done?

Arien decided to forget about the gods, since thinking about them made her feel nauseous.

* * *

It was Reno's turn to have a bad dream that night. He was in a dark alley. It was raining. Rude was not there. He was alone, he could not see well. He heard footsteps, soft, light footsteps. Secretive footsteps, not wanting to be heard.

He switched his EMR on. He had to wait to get the person closer. The footsteps were getting louder, and he could vaguely see a shadow up ahead. He could not tell if it was a man or a woman.

He did not know who it was, but for some reason he knew he had to kill the walker. The shadow was getting closer. Now within arm's reach. Closer, closer…

The EMR crackled and flared electric blue as he took a full swing. The nightstick made a solid contact with the shadow that suddenly became solid and real. There was a loud crack.

The shadow fell, slowly, like it was sinking through the gelatin. With a wet splash the shadow landed in a puddle. Black hair fanned in the dirty water.

Black hair?

A car passed by, and illuminated the dark alley. To his horror, Arien was lying in the puddle, a streak of blood trickling down her forehead. Her uniform was slowly turning brown from the mud. Her blue-green eyes were open but glassy. Her mouth was slightly parted, as if she was surprised.

He could not speak. He kneeled in the dirty water, feeling the rain…

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, Arien was still asleep. He was drenched in sweat. He stared at her. The dream was so real to him that he was staring at her sleeping face for a few seconds, trying to believe that she was real and alive. She was cradling her face with her right am, her hair fanned out. She looked so innocent and so child-like that she looked like she was still in her teens, not a mother of a three-year-old.

Lying sideways, he kept staring. Her eyes opened. She reached over and touched his face.

"Good morning," she said drowsily.

"Mornin'."

"Did I do something?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"You dreamed about me last night, didn't you?" she asked.

"How the HELL do you know, yo?" he asked, frowning. He rolled over onto her, caging the slender body beneath him. "Do you read minds?"

Arien smiled, a faint reminder of the former smile she used to wear on her face. "You called my name."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did."

"You're warm," Reno whispered into the top of her head. She made a muffled reply. "Shiva, this feels good, yo." He felt her arms snake around his shoulders, then yank down.

"Want me to move down?" He wiggled down until he was face-level with her. There was no burning desire in her face, no yearnings, but she looked truly happy for the first time since Vince had disappeared. She raised her left hand, touched a strand of his stray hair that was sticking up. "Oh, Reno," she whispered. They felt comfortable with each other's presence. He wanted her, right there and then. Her feathery touch was like ice-cold fire, sending shock through him. He sucked on her lips, his hands roaming. She closed her eyes, back slightly bent, her mouth a little open.

"Arien…"

She opened her eyes, kissed him. "I wish we could take this further, Re, but we have to get up." She sat up without removing the body on top of her first. Reno was unceremoniously dropped onto the mattress, which shrieked in protest from such manhandling.

"Damn!"

"Sorry. I really want to let you, but if we do it I don't know if we'll be on time. I promise, when we get back." She pulled on a white shirt, then knife and pistol holsters around her thighs and shins, then her usual blue-black slacks.

"We're in uniform today?"

"Unfortunately, we'd have to go in as Shinra employees. Random tourists asking to visit a shut-down elevator is going to look fishy." Arien stood up, tucked in her shirt into the slacks, and started to do her tie.

"I don't like uniforms, yo," Reno informed the air. Arien ignored it. She wore her underarm holster, and carefully slid her twin firearms into it. She pulled up her slacks legs and slid in knives and small pistols, then reached up and began to brush her hair.

"Arrrgh," Reno yawned, then got up, scratching his head. He sat on the bed, legs dangling, then stretched. Then opened the closet door. Pulled out a white shirt.

After getting dressed, fully armed and ready, the two stepped out of the room after making sure the coast was clear. After walking to the rented car and finding some people staring, Reno looked around. "We're too high-profile."

"No, you're too high-profile. With the red hair and the red marks? You're like a living danger sign." Arien laughed.

"Bullshit. No Wutaian is that tall, and your hair's too long to be normal, yo."

"Guess the only normal looking one is Elena." Elena happened to be the one who stood out the most among the Turks with her blonde hair and her innocent face. The others… well, the others either had too much dirt, blood, or mako on their hands.

Elena arrived slightly late, armed with a slightly large bag. "Sorry," she said. "I got a call from Rude."

"No worries," Arien replied. "What did he say?"

"The usual update. Four trainees got killed last night. Bomb explosion."

"I didn't hear anything about it," Arien said, making a face. "All I saw on the news was how Costa's sun is awfully strong this year."

"They say that every year," Reno said glumly, who, contrary to popular beliefs, was very prone to sunburns.

"That's right. It was a dismantling practice."

'Wait just a fucking minute," Reno said, looking absolutely confused. "How the hell do four trainees, no matter how shitty and stupid fucking dumb they are, end up dying in a practice?"

"Andora," Elena said simply. Arien groaned.

"Please don't tell me…"

"Yes."

"Did she sleep her way into the ranks?" Arien asked, shaking her head. Reno looked bewildered; he was the one who made the final decision on who was to join the ranks. Arien was giving him extremely dirty looks.

"I don't think I saw her file…"

"What!" Elena choked out. "You just signed your name without looking?"

"I think I did." He grinned sheepishly.

"She must have slept with the proctor," Arien said, looking utterly disgusted. "There's no other way she could have made it."

"Oh well. No big loss, yo," he said cheerily, not realizing the exasperated expressions etched onto Elena's face. As Reno opened the front door, Elena wore such a frightened expression that she more than vaguely resembled a frightened chocobo.

"Reno, you aren't driving."

"Why not? I'm the best driver, yo."

Arien decided to keep her mouth shut. She rather liked watching Reno and Elena argue. After all, she and the redhead argued often enough, and it was refreshing to see another female argue with him instead of fawning over him. She wondered what almost every single woman who crossed Reno's path saw in him, then was reminded that she was the one who had taken the hardest hit. Damn.

"…I am not going into that car as far as you're in the driver's seat!" Elena was shouting.

"I'll drive," Arien said quietly.

"Arie? Are you sure you can move this baby?" Reno looked at her, jeering. Arien looked back at him.

"I'm not good, but I don't purposefully try to take the most dangerous road. At least I drive safely."

"But…" Reno started to argue, then saw Arien glaring. _Can we please get going?_ Her eyes said.

"Urrgh." Reno let go, and Arien slid into the driver seat. He went around the front of the car, and sat down distastefully into the passenger side.

The car ride to the elevator shaft was as smooth and uneventful as it could be. Reno thought that Arien's driving was boring. A car was like a woman. Ride her hard and she'll respond just as faithfully.

Except Arien didn't think driving was an art. For her, it was just a convenient method of transportation.

And that was why men and women never understood each other.

"We're here."

The old elevator that used to be fully functional during the Meteor fiasco was now rusted and apparently not moving. It was covered in dust, grime, some weird slimy substance, and mold. Elena did not look comfortable; she kept adjusting the bag on her shoulder. Reno whistled. Arien swiped her keycard. The elevator roared to life, lights flashed, and the door opened. The three backed, almost as if waiting for some monster to jump out.

Nothing was in the cubicle.

"Ah hell," Reno muttered, "we're scared of our own shadows." He stepped in without hesitation, pressed "B5" on the panel. "What?" He said, seeing the two women standing at the threshold. "Too scared?"

It turned out that the two women were fully right to be scared.

It was Reno, with his enhanced hearing abilities, who heard it first. Just as the elevator was beginning to move, the cable supporting the cubicle snapped. First they heard a loud ping, then a bang, then a very loud creak, and then a snap.

"What the…" The male did not get to finish the sentence, as there was a clang, then another deafening bang, and suddenly the three found themselves in free-fall.

"Hold onto something!" Elena shouted. The lights flicked out, plunging the small space into an unnatural darkness; it added to the fear. Reno jumped and held onto the bars on the ceiling; Arien and Elena held onto the railings. Then there was a loud bang, a scream, series of shouts, then silence.

"Is anyone hurt?" asked Elena, not moving.

"I'm okay," Reno said, letting go of the ceiling bars and landing onto… something that was not the floor.

"Ow! Reno! That was my foot!"

"Sorry, yo. I can't see anything, though."

"Neither can I," Elena said helplessly. "I can't even reach for the flashlight. It's in my bag, but it's too dark."

"I can see," Arien's voice sounded unnaturally loud in the darkness. "Here. Give me the bag."

Arien's nightvision was more of a curse than a gift to her, but for once Reno was thankful that she had it. He heard some shuffling – it sounded awfully loud to him, now that it was dark and his mako-enhanced ears were trying to catch any slight sounds – then, she flashed a beam of light into the space right next to his face.

"Where are we?" Elena asked.

"I think the cable broke," Arien said, looking up. "I heard a snap before we went down. If that's what's happened, we're where we want to be."

"But do we know if the cable snapped off?" Reno asked.

"No."

"Somebody should go check, yo."

Elena was the smallest, but Arien was the lightest of the group. Since Elena refused to let Reno touch her, the job automatically came to the Wutaian spy.

"Reno? Can you lift me?" Reno crouched, and Arien took off her shoes, revealing her nylon-clad toes. She climbed onto his back, then onto his shoulders. He stood up, wobbling slightly. Arien reached up, unlatched the grate, pushed it open, then disappeared. Reno sat down. There were some shuffling noises, a loud scraping noise. Then she appeared again, jumping lightly onto the floor with a pat.

"Well?"

"The cable's rusted," Arien explained. "We're on the bottom floor."

"That's good, yo."

"Yes," Elena said quietly, "But how exactly are we supposed to get out?"

Reno looked at Arien. Arien looked back.

"Um…"

Reno stood up, ever the one to act. Without a pause, he flicked his EMR on, and whacked the elevator door.

The electricity surged throughout the metal doors. The door slid open.

"Reno, how did you do that?" Elena asked. The redhead shrugged.

"Does this happen a lot?" Elena now asked Arien.

"Reno trusting his instinct and everything working out? Yes."

The room was dark and unforgiving. Arien did not need the flashlight, but Elena turned it on anyway. The three crowded around Arien's map.

"We're here," she said, pointing at a square on the paper, "and we need to get to there," she said, pointing to another square.

"So basically get out of this place and go around till we get to the fifth room, then take a left?"

Arien nodded.

"Compass?"

Arien silently pointed at Reno.

"Urr…"

"Don't worry," Arien said lightly. "Reno has a good sense of direction, that's about the only thing he's reliable about."

"Only?" He started to walk.

It was not supposed to be long, but for Reno it felt like it last for eternity. They did not encounter any monsters; the only sound that Reno could hear was three pairs of shoes shuffling against the concrete floor. He turned right, walked on, then stood in front of a door.

"This one?" Arien whispered. Reno nodded, gestured that he could hear something behind the door. Arien slid out her gunblade from the holster under her arm, unlatched the safety. Elena pulled out a pistol. Reno gripped the EMR, and switched it on with his thumb.

"Locked?" Elena asked. Reno tried the doorknob quietly, and shook his head. He gestured Arien to hand over her pistol from her shin holster. After receiving the pistol and making sure that it was loaded and ready to shoot, he motioned the women to step back, then kicked open the door with a loud bang.

There was nothing. No movement. Elena peered in, flashlight in hand. A beam of light hit the corner. Then…

It was so fast that Reno felt the pain after blood started to trickle down his cheek. Instinctively he swung his EMR, and felt the jarring impact as the rod made a solid stroke. Before he could make sure that the thing was down, Arien and Elena were in the room. Arien had both gunblades in hand, Elena with her pistol aimed. Something – something like a fin – sliced the air in front of Elena's eyes. Elena automatically shot without thinking.

"I can't fight! I can't see!" Elena shouted.

"Keep your backs against the walls!" came Arien's reply from the left. "Stay put. Elena, Reno, I need your spare clips."

"Arie, you ain't going solo."

"I have to, no time to argue. I'm the only one who can see!" Reno was about to retort that Arien had just openly disobeyed her superior's orders when another attack came. Arien ducked just in time to avoid getting her head cut off.

"Get out of the room and shut the door!" Arien shouted as she shot twice.

"No!"

Without a word, Arien cocked her left gunblade at Reno's head. "Now."

The redhead was sensitive to danger, and saw that Arien knew that she had disobeyed his orders openly and knew the consequences if Reno cared to administer it. He also saw that the woman did not give a damn about it. Her priority was to get to the temple alive, and laws and formalities were shattered in the face of danger. Reno yanked Elena out of the room then kicked the door shut.

Arien could see well in the dark, and so she saw what the attackers were; they looked like fish, but they were flying in the air, as if they could swim. Occasionally she saw the fins move, and saw that they were about as sharp as a knife strapped onto her thigh. She quickly counted more than twenty of these creatures. If all of them came at once, she'd be ribbons before she could say ah.

She carefully backed into the door after taking a quick glance to make sure that there were no fish creatures plastered onto the door panel. At least her back was safe. Now, all she needed to do was to take care of these bothersome creatures.

But they were fast. Extremely fast. They were about as fast as Reno. She was _not_ that fast.

She decided to take care of the stationery ones at first. Some were perched onto the walls like starfish. She raised her arm and aimed her gunblade, then fired.

Apparently they weren't faster than sound, for she had shot nine times successively and she saw nine fall, now little more than bags of fish meat and bones. But those were the only ones plastered to the wall. And others were moving.

The easiest way out was to cast Fire, but then she'd be burned. Lightening was the safe choice, since ice would probably just help their case. Then she realized that the Lightening materia – master materia too – was firmly lodged in her pistol. Which was now in Reno's hand.

"Shit!" she hissed. From the corner of the eye, she saw two coming straight at her. She fired.

Two down. But there were still… twelve more to go.

Arien decided to go for trickery. Something must be telling them to move in a certain direction. It had to be sound, since the room was dark, and it was unlikely that they could see without light. Nightvision-enhanced eyes glowed slightly in the dark, but since neither Reno nor Elena had known that there were creatures in this room, that option was not valid.

Sound. Arien pulled off the ring from her right ring finger; it was the ring Reno had given her for her birthday some years ago. She knew Reno had a matching ring, attached to a chain that was around his neck. The clear blue stone that was set on the ring looked nearly white to her, almost glowing with a light of its own. Carefully aiming, knowing that if this failed she was dead, she threw her ring into the corner. It hit the wall with a clang.

The fish darted to the corner.

Arien fired rapidly, her finger squeezing the trigger over and over again. She released the empty cartridge with a swift squeeze of a button, then reloaded from the cartridges lined up on her belt. Swiftly reloading, she continued to shoot. Although she had not moved, she was breathing hard. She was nearly out of ammo for this one, and the next cartridges were now on the back of the belt. If she didn't make it…

She did.

There was a loud splat and then there was silence. Arien looked around, looking for the scaly creatures. There weren't any, at least not in the air. They were all on the floor. She looked at the wall; it resembled a honeycomb more than a wall.

She slumped against the door, releasing the tension in her body. She sighed, then turned the doorknob, still facing into the room, just in case. She leaned onto the door.

"Reno."

Reno turned. "Cleared?"

"Yes sir."

"What the hell were they?" he asked as he handed back the pistol. She rolled up the slacks and replaced the gun into the holster.

"I have no idea," she replied. "It looked like fish but the fins were about as sharp as knives. I've never seen them before."

The Turks were well informed about the nature of hostile beasts in the world, their weaknesses, and how to defeat them. To have a Turk admit that she had no idea what the creature was raised new and awful possibilities. All three were thinking the same thing; someone, or something, was doing a very illegal experiment with the local marine biology, and they were going to have to clean _that_ up as well. With the current trouble on hands, the Turks were very reluctant to clean another mess up.

"This wasn't in the job contract," Reno muttered under his breath.

"Are they guarding something?" Elena asked. Arien shook her head.

"Don't think so. I think they were just living there. I think they're vulnerable to fire or lightening."

"Okay, if we meet any more of those fishes in the darkness, you two leave the room," Elena said. "I'll take care of it."

The three returned to the room, now silent once more. From the doorway, Elena threw a glow-bar into the center of the room. It flashed then began to radiate light. She set the bag down. Arien went to the corner and picked the ring up. Thankfully, it was not covered in fish guts, but Arien checked to see if it was clean anyway. Then she replaced it on her finger. Reno saw the entire course of action at the threshold, but said nothing.

"Okay, fish," Reno said as he entered the dark chamber, seeing an ample display of dead fish on the floor. He picked one up, taking care not to touch the fins. They had silvery scales like regular fish just out in the harbor, but the gills were gone and the fins, as Arien had said, were most definitely blade-sharp.

"I need to reload," Arien reminded the two. "I'm not going into the temple without being fully armed."

As Arien reloaded, Reno checked the walls. "You made a mess," he observed.

"Sorry. I couldn't really care about the interior décor," she retorted. She pointed at the farthest wall.

"That one?"

"Yes."

Reno's face turned into a grin. It was not a pleasant grin but rather like a Cheshire Cat, ready to pounce upon some fun. "Right," he said, unzipping the bag that Elena had been carrying all along. "Let's start."


	14. 13: Nothing's Ever Easy

Raspberry Polar Bear - Yes, the search begins! The clock is ticking away, and the Turks need to get to the cave in time... but they don't even know where the cave is yet! Muwahahaha. A lot of Elena (well, more than usual) in this chapter... I was disappointed that Tseng and Elena didn't play major roles in AC as much as the other two did. Well, Crisis Core is supposed to have Tseng, so now I'm going to get PSP for my college gift!

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - Thanks! The characters are based on actual people (including Reno... who would have thought that an OCD case horribly gone plus ADD actually existed, right?), so I'm hoping Arien isn't too Sue-ish. (Some people called her anti-sue... don't know what that's supposed to mean...) I was going to have ElenaxReno first, but after thinking about it, I realised it didn't really work out. Elena's too crazy about Tseng :-P

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - Michele will be making her appearance, don't worry! She'll be making an appearance in... 2 chapters or so. And yes, Reno doesn't like her... (Arien does :-P) Well, he finds her annoying. I'm still thinking about finding Rude a girlfriend... but apparently Rude had a very tragic romance story to his background (it's from Wikipedia, so not really a reliable source). Maybe that's why he's shy?

Moonshine's Guide - Andora's dead for good, and good riddance too... and I can't see for the life of me why exactly she wanted to get into Reno's pants. Well, actually, yes, I do, but that's NOT THE POINT! The fish mutated because of the Junon underwater mako reactor (remember in the game when Reno was transporting the Huge Materia and brought out a robot?). Clarissa's disease is probably not something we know... (good excuse)

This chapter isn't really well written, because long expositions get in the way of creating speed and tension. Lots of actions here, and lots of yelling and shouting. Also materias come to play.

I really hate it (as a writer) when Square-Enix comes up with new backgrounds that negate my version... yes, I've found lots of discrepancies now that DC, BC and CC are in Square-Enix list of games.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13: Nothing's Ever Easy

The bag contained a large machine with a drill at the front, some papers, a stack of yellow bars that Reno identified as glow-bars, a box of hand grenades, clips, three objects that looked like headphones with monocles attached, ribbons, a coiled length of rope with a hook attached at the end, and a spare EMR. "Rude packed this," Reno said, looking through the bag.

"How do you know?"

"Because he always put in a spare EMR. Dunno why." He pulled it out, and jammed it into his belt.

"Maybe for the occasions when the battery runs out?" Arien asked.

"This doesn't run on battery."

"Then what does it use as the power source?"

"Dunno. Never checked." Reno grinned at Elena and Arien, who sported identical surprised expressions. "What? As far as it works, I don't give a shit how it works."

Arien shook her head, and pulled out the headphones. She put one on her head, then pulled the lens down and flipped it in front of her right eye.

"There's a note from Tseng," Elena said, reading the papers.

"What does he say?"

"Nothing. Just the missive from Rufus and how to use the cameras." Elena picked the other headphone up. "There's the button on the ear portion on the left. It's the on off button."

"How do we record?"

"Just say record."

"Playback?"

"Say playback."

"Voice-operated, huh?" Reno said, picking up the last one. "Guessing that for stop and play, you say stop and play."

Elena nodded.

"What's the missive?" Arien asked.

"Vince's tracking resurfaced… we're to return to The Edge once we complete this phase of the mission, then proceed to the next phase with the recruits." Elena read. "Received contact from the librarian. Says she received a message from an unknown source regarding the heir."

"From a librarian?" Arien reiterated.

"That's what it says." She folded the paper and shoved them into her pocket. "Let's take everything and leave the bag here."

"Arie, I need to borrow your pistol." Arien rolled up slacks again, retrieved the pistol from the holster.

"We should re-sort our materia and sort our stuff," said Reno, sitting Indian-style on the floor after making sure that the place was dry and clean. Elena sat down across from him; Arien found a place between the two. Without words the three began to remove the materia from their bodies; a few were produced from wrist guards, many from the weapons they carried.

"How many do we have?" Reno asked after rolling out his last from the EMR.

"Erm…" Arien counted. "Twenty-six."

"Color and count?"

"Purple, three; blue, four; yellow, two; red, five; green, twelve."

"Status?"

"Almost all of them are masters."

"Okay." Reno gathered the materia, then started to roll them out. 'Elena, you get the protectives and Lightening." He rolled out Barrier, Heal, Lightening, Restore, Revive, Phoenix, All, and Quadra-Magic.

"Reno," Arien whispered, "Why exactly are we overloaded with materia?"

"Because we can't carry anything except our weapons and our camcorders," Reno replied as sorted the materia.

"Why?"

"Because we'd be weighed down, and we won't have time to use items in battle anyway." He rolled Ice, Poison, Bahamut Zero, Knights of the Round, Shield, Time, Ultima, Manipulate, Typhoon, All and Cover to the brunette, keeping Ice, Shield, Shiva, Sense, Destruct, All, Super Enemy-All, and Speed Plus to himself. "Aw come on," he continued, "do you really expect to pull out stuff and start using them? The buggers'll be eating a six-course dinner while they wait, yo!"

"...I didn't say anything," Arien muttered quietly. "And why am I the one who gets most of the materia?" She asked as she snapped them into place.

"Because you have the most MP, and you aren't real aggressive," Reno replied, also snapping his materia into the EMR and his bracers. "I need Elena alive, because she's the only one who can read this shit. You're better than me at using magic, yo. Don't worry, your Ice isn't mastered."

"Thanks," said the Turk dryly.

"No problemo," said the redhead as he distributed the camcorders and ribbons. "Arie, give your other pistol to Elena. Don't worry, Laney," he said, "Most of the offense'll be done by us. Worst comes worst, we only need you out of here alive."

After making sure that the members were ready to go, Reno stood up. "Right, you two gotta help me set up this thing," he said, jerking his thumb at the drilling missile that sat in the bag. "It's damn heavy."

Raising the missile was one problem; to rest it on the shoulders was another. The three heaved, Reno in the front and Elena in the back, since Arien had the least physical endurance when it came to gravity. After much sweat, groaning and grunting, Reno finally set its tip on the wall.

"Elena, hit on. It's on the left side."

Elena struggled, turned to face the side of the missile, feeling for the button. When she found it, she pressed it. The drill roared to life.

"Arie, Elena, push!"

The two women pushed as Reno guided the missile into the wall. After it disappeared into the concrete, Reno grabbed the remote and a small PDA from the bag, guiding its progress.

"Man, this wall's thick," he muttered as he guided it through. It took fifteen minutes for the drill to get through to the other end. When he saw on the screen that it had breached the wall, he hit "stop", then "reverse". It took less than five minutes this time to get to the middle of the wall. Then he hit "stop" again.

"Get out of the room," Reno ordered. The two followed directions without question; Arien silently grabbed the bag and the glow-bar. Elena in lead, the three left the room, Arien shutting the door behind her.

"Get away from the door."

After making sure that all three were within a safe distance from the door, Reno hit "detonate".

There was a deafening bang, then a series of thunderous crashes that sounded like concrete breaking and tumbling down. There were clangs that sounded like heavy objects hitting the walls, rolling noises like large rocks rolling down, more crashes, then silence.

Reno opened the door just a tiny bit, took the flash light from Elena who was holding onto it, peered in. Then, he opened the door widely. Seeing the altered interior, Elena and Arien's eyes widened.

The room was cluttered with debris and large chunks of concrete and rock. Where they had inserted the drill, there was a large hole gaping much like a tunnel, with metal bars sticking out around the edges. The newly made tunnel led to darkness, with no light at the end. There was still dust in the air, but most had settled already; the fish corpses were covered with the dust.

Reno stepped into the room, half-climbed, half-walked over the concrete, Elena and Arien in tow. When he reached the tunnel, he stopped.

"Arie, you're in the front. Take the flashlight and glow-bar. Elena, you're last."

None of them argued. Arien started to walk through the hole, careful not to get caught by the metal bars sticking out from the wall, warning the other two whenever a caution was needed. The walk itself was uneventful, if a bit slow; some of the debris had made the trek difficult and Reno had to shove Arien aside and dig out the path. But they kept on walking, carefully, each using their enhanced senses to perceive any possible danger.

It was at the end of the tunnel when it happened. As far as Reno could see, the tunnel suddenly ended to nowhere, leading out into the air with nothing below. Arien, however, took another step forward, oblivious to the fact that she was going to be walking on some couple of feet up in the air.

"Arien!" He grabbed her by the belt, and yanked her back, holding onto her waist. She looked back, puzzled.

"Bahamut, didn't you see that it opens up to nothing? You're going to be walking out on couple of feet up in the air!"

"What?"

"What's going on?" asked Elena, not being able to see anything that had transpired and confused.

"Elena, stop." After halting her advancement, Reno grasped Arien by the shoulders, and shook her hard. "Goddamn it, wake up, Arien! This isn't time to fucking snooze off!"

Arien stared at him. He knew something was wrong. Arien was a fully trained member of the Turks squad, each sense honed to its maximum capacity to sense danger and to avert it. By all means she should have seen that the tunnel led to the air. She was too careful to make such mistakes; something was up.

"Arien," Reno addressed her slowly, "what the hell did you see?"

"I saw another room," she replied.

"And?"

"What do you mean?" she asked back.

"Any details?"

"It was yellow, a bit like the color of sand. There was a large circle in the center, with some writings around it. Why?"

Reno realized a new danger: illusions.

Arien turned and stepped back in fear, now knowing that something was wrong. She saw no difference in her perception. She looked back at him again, fear in her eyes.

"What's going on?" Elena asked again.

"Elena, come over here. Tell me what you see."

Arien and Reno moved aside as Elena stepped forward. "I see a large hall," Elena replied, "there are lots of pillars supporting the ceiling, I guess. Nothing too interesting." She looked at Reno, puzzled. "Why?"

"Where's the floor?"

"A step down?"

The three looked at each other.

"We're all seeing different things," Arien said at last. "And we don't know who's seeing the right thing."

"Let me check somethin'," Reno said. "Tell me what you see." Tapping into the materia in his left bracer and letting the magic course through him, he cast Dispel. Green light flashed in the darkness, then the only light source became Arien's flashlight and glow-bar again.

"I don't see any difference," Arien said. Reno covered her eyes with his hand for a second, then released her.

"Look again, baby."

She turned around, and gasped. She saw a large chasm gaping its mouth in front of her like some maw of a huge, hungry beast. One step out and she would have fallen, smashed into a pulpy mess.

"Ramuh, what the hell…" She whispered.

"Yeah. Thank me."

"Thank you," Arien said dryly. "Well, as far as the two of us can't really see where we're going, you'll have to go alone."

Reno sighed. "Move," he told the tall woman. "Arie, you're in the middle."

Reno threw down the rope, hook in his hand. "Arie, gimme the light."

She tossed the glow-bar, which he caught overhand. He tossed it into the chasm. It hit the bottom noiselessly, illuminating the area with a soft yellow light.

"Can you see the bottom?" Elena asked.

"Barely. Lemme go first."

Making sure that the hook was in place, Reno shinnied down the rope expertly. A few minutes after his head disappeared, the two heard him shout, "Let's go."

Elena went down first, then Arien bringing up the rear. When Reno heard the light "pat", he turned, EMR in hand. It was switched on and ready to go. Walking over, he picked up the glow-bar, tossed it to Elena.

"Gimme the map."

Arien silently handed the map. "Alright," he said as he unfolded the paper, 'We're here" – he pointed at a square – "and we wanna get… here." He pointed at a large square in the center.

"That's that door," Arien said, pointing at an entryway some steps away.

"Yeah, okay. Looks like it's not gonna be hard. Let's go." He walked toward the door, when Arien stopped him.

"Okay, Radar, it's my turn," Arien stated. "Step back, would you?"

"Huh?"

Promptly pushing Reno aside, Arien unlatched the safety with her thumb, aimed at the doorknob, and shot. The doorknob exploded, and as the three watched, a piece fell on the carpet they were standing on. It hissed as the carpet melted, leaving a hole.

"Acid," Arien explained. "Shall we go?" She kicked the door open, and motioned Elena to throw the glow-bar in.

"Wow," Elena gasped.

It was a medium-sized hall, with seven braziers surrounding the markings on the floor. The room was in darkness, the only light source being the glow-bar. There were markings all over the walls, and a large pool of what looked like black water was at the center of the floor.

"Let's get to work," Reno said.

"Light?"

So their first step was to place more glow-bars that they had carried in their pockets into the braziers. After the bars began to glow, the hall became considerably lighter, and Elena could see the markings more distinctively.

"Let's just record then get out of here," said the redhead as he snapped the lens in front of his eyes. "I get the north and the west walls, Elena you do east, Arien do south."

* * *

It was nearly at the end when Reno heard it; he had first thought that he was hearing things after being underground for so long. The silence was eerie. "Arie," he called to the woman who was looking up to record the last portion, "do you hear something?"

"No… wait…" she dislodged the headphone from her ear. "I hear something like…"

"Water!" Reno and Arien looked at each other. Reno groaned.

"Knew it was too easy."

"The harbor… someone released the dam!" Arien whispered.

"Yeah, well hurry up! We gotta go!"

"Elena, hurry up!" Arien shouted as she returned back to work. She scanned the last portion of the wall; she didn't have time to do it as carefully as she would have liked. She ran to Reno who was recording the last portion, and motioned him to go help out Elena, who had more than a little left. She quickly scanned the images, then took the headphone off and jammed it into the inside pocket of her jacket, where it would be protected by the waterproof lining. "The dam broke! We're getting flooded!"

"Arien, there's people coming. Do something!" Reno's shout. She heard Elena - or was it Reno? - shooting at something. Arien closed her eyes, concentrated, trying to shut out the sound of the water, the footsteps splashing… she felt an acute pain in her shoulder, but even that pain went away…

Red light exploded from her hands, then pulsed, as if it was living. The red pulsing light grew larger and larger within her hands, then exploded…

A bahamut.

"Let's go!"

Arien only had a nanosecond to see what had pained her shoulder, only to see an arrow sticking out of it. She did not have time to get healed; that would have to wait. Reno was sporting a bloody thigh, and blood was seeping onto the blue cloth. Elena looked a little singed; someone had attacked with Fire, not a strong magic, probably level one, but it burned nonetheless.

"Time to go," Reno shouted. Adrenaline was pumping in all three Turks' bodies, enough to let them forget the pain and the injury. In a matter of few seconds, the three had returned their headphones to the waterproof pocket, and was running out the door. Reno seemed to not realize that his leg was shot cleanly through the thigh; he ran faster than anyone, and it seemed that the injury did not hinder him at all. Arien broke the arrow as she ran, leaving the thin wood behind; having a long stick sticking out wasn't going to help.

They ran through the door and to the wall where the rope was still dangling. Reno went up the rope first, being the fastest; then Elena, then Arien. When Arien was going up the rope, the water was already there slapping against her ankles, and increasing in level by the minute.

"Come on, faster!"

"I can't!" Arien shouted back furiously.

"Oh shit." Reno realized that Arien was injured in the shoulder, making it very difficult for her arms to support her weight. "Elena, come on! Help me pull!"

The trek back to the elevator was haphazard and treacherous; the three ran through the tunnel, now Arien in lead as there was no light. As she ran in the front she pulled out her gunblade and repeatedly shot at the door, then kicked. The door gave way. The Turks ran out of the room and around the hall, when Reno realized something crucial; the elevator didn't work anymore, since the cable was cut.

"Arien! The stairs!"

Arien suddenly turned right instead of left, Reno nearly crashing into her. The three continued to run, Arien in lead, going left, then down the hallway, through the doors then to the right. Finally Arien saw a door that was labeled "Stairs" up ahead; Arien shot again at the doorknob, then again and again. She kicked it open.

The climb up the stairs was both exhausting and panicking. They could hear the water rushing in, and although logically it was not very probable that the water would come up the stairs, they wanted to get out. They had to climb five flights of stairs while running. Arien shot at the door at the top floor that was labeled "EXIT"; the three crashed into the door, and out into the open air.

"We… made it…" Elena gasped.

"I thought this was gonna be easy for once," Reno complained. "Damn it." He slumped down onto the gravel, wincing as he finally recognized the injury. "Ramuh, Shiva, all things holy…" he swore. "Elena, heal us."

Elena did not snap back at the rude and imperious order, but cast Heal conjoined with All. Arien felt the wound close as the broken arrow shaft fell into the graveled street. Reno stood up, wiping his hands on his slacks, making it even dirtier.

"At least we didn't have to fight anything," Arien said wearily.

"Yeah, you did."

They ran back to the hotel and took the back door to get in; they returned to their respective rooms in the hurry, eager to get out of Junon. By now someone would know that the Turks had infiltrated the temple, and that meant that faster they were out, better for them. While Arien was packing – throwing things into the bag was more like it – Reno flipped the phone open.

"Rude," said the male voice.

"Mission accomplished. Requesting immediate pick-up," Reno breathed into the phone. Without waiting for Rude's reply, he shut the phone, then threw it into his pocket. Arien was zipping up the bag; he looked into the mirror on the wall and saw that he was dirty, disheveled, and covered in dust and dirt. His hair was covered in concrete soot, and a leg was stained purplish brown with blood. His palms were raw. He looked over at his partner. She fared no better.

"Arie," he said as she looked around to make sure she left nothing behind, "I'm ordering you to take some days off from your duties after we get back."

Arien sat down on the rumpled and unmade bed. "And you?"

"I need to fucking rest," Reno grumbled. "I need a goddamn payraise!"


	15. 14: Lesson of Survival

hello hello hello! Regular updates!

I decided to start a new thing: question corner. If you have any questions about me or the story or anything, just ask me, I'll answer it at the end of each chapter. I always wanted to ask questions to the authors, and I know some of you are like that. So here's your chance.

Moonshine's Guide - the game was... well, I never finished. I stopped playing after I got sick and tired of chasing Sephiroth around. Besides, in the final battle he looks like a squid (I'm not kidding), and I didn't want to see Squid-Sephiroth. I had also reached the point where I won't be seeing Reno anymore, so I didn't see the point of playing. Cloud just annoys the heck outta me with his constant whining... he's pubescent and angsty and I can see that in high school.

Raspberry Polar Bear - a bit slower chapter this time. I kinda like this chapter, especially when Reno's dreaming... lol. Finally decided on the ending... the ending involves Ivy a lot, heh heh. It's kinda cute, really. I personally think action can only be fully described in movies, since the reading makes the speed go a little slower. Anyway, in this chapter we see little clues that while Reno and Arien aren't heated up, it's more stable.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - We see Michele in this chapter. Yeeey! Yep, I know Xholic, because I was a big fan of CLAMP until... well, they stopped X/1999 in middle of the story. That was very disappointing. Mokona used to be white, you know, in Magic Knight Rayearth. Yes, her crush on Rude will actually get somewhere in this story... Rude apparently had a tragic love story, but that just made me roll around on the floor laughing.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - I don't think Reno knows _how_ a lot of things work, just that they work. Yes, the Reno in this story is based on someone I know; the Reno from the movie is based on one of the creator's neighbor, which kinda scares me, because Reno from the FFVII series is... crazy. Like, OCD/ADD crazy. Reno does make millions a week but I think he thinks more payment the better... not that he can use all the wage he makes.

* * *

Chapter 14: Lesson of Survival

A few days later, the couple found themselves sitting in Seventh Heaven. The two, who more or less had always been on the move, were exhausted. Reno finally decided to dispatch Rude for the next mission, not wishing to risk the total collapse. Elena, who had not exerted herself as much as Reno or Arien had, was working on the recordings brought back from Junon, and was always in her office, with a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the door.

One look would have told anyone that Arien DeVir was mentally exhausted. Her eyes no longer spoke, her mind numbed by the tiredness. Constant tension and the sense of danger had worn her out, rending her into a quiet being that refused to be exposed from the shell. Physical exhaustion can be recovered in a night or two, but the mental fatigue would require several days to recover. Reno himself felt tired. They desperately needed to rest in their own house, and both of them knew it too well. If they went on, they would collapse, leaving leadership and the execution of the plans to Rude and Elena. No matter how good they were, two weren't enough to complete the missions. They needed to make sure that they were normal human beings, that the recent days were not normal.

It was late into the night, and there were no other customers. The former Avalanche crowd had become less tense when they dealt with the Turks, and although they never let their guard down, both parties were relatively relaxed with each other. It did help that the heir to the Shinra fortune, Reno and Arien's son, was indeed named after Vincent Valentine. Since the former Turk was on the Avalanche side, Arien's trust in the gunslinger was nearly an automatic pass into Seventh Heaven without hostility. And then there was the Kadaj fiasco, when the Turks had openly aided Cloud Strife. All in all, it was neither forgiveness nor friendship, but it was a truce nonetheless.

They both look tired, Tifa noticed. They were out of uniforms, although without doubt they were armed. Turks were always on call, ready to act, ready to attack and defend themselves, literally chained to do Rufus' beck and call with one hit of a button. Tifa saw that Arien - and Reno, for that matter - were constantly checking their cell phones and beepers. That was what they were trained for. If SOLDIERs were created to fight, the Turks were produced to strike then retreat. They knew no regrets, and they worked tirelessly, for whatever purposes.

But these two looked exhausted. One who knew no better may have said upon looking at the redhead, clad in a stand-collar tight leather jacket and black jeans, a silver hoop in his left ear, that he did not look any different. But the Turk leader, clad in black, looked slightly off. It was weird, how they preferred dark colors even when off duty, as if they were unconsciously getting ready to melt into the shadows when they chose their clothes.

His partner, who was dressed in a navy blue sleeveless turtleneck and also in black jeans, fared no better. There was no vivacity in her tonight, no bursting energy that drove her forward without hesitation to her goal. Her expression was almost ghost-like, vacant.

But both Cloud and Tifa knew that once they perceived an attack, they would explode into action.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Tifa said to the two of them. They were seated at the counter, glasses of liquor in front of them. Marlene and Denzel were already in bed. Both of them knew the Turks – Denzel especially, whose father used to work in the Shinra headquarters – but the Turks had committed too many crimes to become a good influence on the children, Reno in particular. Arien had a slight bit of moral; Reno did not have the word in his dictionary. There was no crime, whether it was illegal drinking, threats, endorsing prostitution or drugs, that Reno had not tried. Some habits got stuck; others, like getting high on hyper potion, Reno stopped it after the first try. Some habits could get you killed.

"We were busy," Arien replied wearily. Even her voice sounded tired. "Lots to do. We weren't really in town."

"How's Rufus?" Tifa asked as she wiped the last of the dishes away. She wiped her hands on a towel, then came around and sat at the counter, next to them.

"He's doing fine," Arien replied again. "He hasn't changed much."

"We didn't really expect him to." Cloud had left his table, and was approaching the counter as well. Reno frowned slightly – he wasn't exactly a big fan of the "Chocobo Head" – but said nothing.

"Arien?" Tifa asked, knowing that she was treading on the thin ice. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"I've always been wondering… do you ever feel guilty for… you know…"

"No, I don't," she replied, raising the glass to her lips.

"Well, your victims."

"Nope." Arien cracked a grin, and Tifa was startled. Her eyes bore no malice, no hedonic desire to kill. This wasn't a killer because she wanted to be a killer. This was a killer because it was her job.

"We're screened for lack of morals and integrity, Tifa," Arien explained, a slight hint of a wry smile on her mouth. The fighter was not entirely sure if she was supposed to take that literally or figuratively.

"It's a job. It pays the rent, yo."

Yes; Turks were like that. They sold out their services, even their souls, to Rufus, because they were under contract and Rufus happened to be the highest bidder. They never worked for free, but as far as they got paid, they did anything. Sanity, morals, integrity, all those humane virtues went out the window; the Turks lived day to day, because they weren't too sure if they'd see the next dawn. A lot of them ran to hedonistic pleasures, like sex and drinking; other tried to drown themselves in their work.

They were still the dark side of Shinra Company. Well, Shinra was still the Weapon Merchant in a way, wasn't it? No matter what kind of PR Rufus was trying to sell. Oh, he'll sell it well enough; Rufus was good at manipulations like that. But Turks were a symbol of the Shinra Company in way; ruthless, money first, selling their souls to the highest bidder.

_How come they don't go insane?_ Tifa wondered, then amended her thought. Maybe they were insane. But since they weren't allowed to go to psychiatrists, nobody really knew. Until such state of chaos and distortion became normal for them.

_They must have hurt when they first killed,_ Tifa thought. _When did they stop caring?_

Or maybe they didn't care in the first place. Maybe that's why they could join the team; "The elites to clean the crap", as Reno would say. Maybe they didn't have a heart. Maybe…

Watching the cool profiles of the Turks who were intent on just drinking, million questioned rushed through Tifa's mind, all of them unanswered.

What Tifa did not know was that yes, they did care. Once. Long time ago. But that was long past, and neither of them did not really care if their subordinates or their enemies died in the most gruesome way possible. All that the two had in their minds was to get done with the job as soon as possible. Just because both of them were off the mission list didn't mean that they were off the job.

* * *

"I don't know how exactly to train the second generation Turks," Arien confessed in her office. 

"Whaddya mean?"

"They aren't mako-treated. That makes them fundamentally different from us. They don't have our speed, or our stamina, or…"

"Okay, I get your point," the Chief-in-Command of the Turks replied to Arien's list. "How many are alive?"

"Well, out of the entire class which consists of twenty or so, about eight."

"Wow. They died out fast." Reno whistled. "We need to reorganize the newbies."

"Why?"

"Because Tseng the Righteous said so."

"I want this girl," Arien said, pulling out a file, which showed a photograph of a girl with red eyes. Miaka. "Rude is too quiet, you're too crazy…"

"Hey!"

"Elena's just like her. I want this girl."

Reno, ever being the pervert, twisted the innocent sentence into a statement full of sexual innuendo, and grinned.

"Not that way."

"Right. We have what? Eight left?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I think we get two each then." Arien silently pitied those unfortunate souls who got stuck with her partner. Fatality rate usually shot up when Renaldo Miller was involved.

"And we're gonna use Rion for the next mission."

"The librarian goes assassin?" Arien looked at him curiously. "Why?"

"Because we need someone who's not officially associated with us, and to be honest, Michele annoys the heck outta me, yo."

Arien put the paper down, and hooked a loose strand of hair behind her ears. Her face looked paler than before. She looked up at the male who was sitting on the edge of her desk nonchalantly, knowing well that she hated it when he did that. "Reno," she said coolly, "I happen to like Michele."

"Yeah, because you two are girls!" At this sexist comment, Arien's eyebrows shot up. He ignored her expression. "Anyway, we're gonna ask Rion to do the job."

"And who's the unlucky one?"

"This chick," Reno said, showing the sheet of paper like he was showing the royal straight flush. Arien took it from his hand, and read the file. It showed a small picture of a woman, brown haired with large eyes and a very red mouth.

"What does she have to do with anything?" Arien asked.

"Rufus wants her gone."

Arien looked back at the file again, read the name, shaking her head.

Mildred Feruche.

Scarlet's sister.

* * *

Arien's team consisted of Miaka Vorna Cousteau and a male named Foster Trident. Personally, Arien wondered who could name their child with such a bad taste. Foster Trident sounded like a brand of toothpaste. But she kept her mouth shut. 

Miaka was shy and soft spoken; she was one of those who looked like an albino, with silvery white hair and blood-red eyes. She had less cleavage than Arien herself, and looked like a twelve year old. She had a small face like a child, but according to the file she was twenty-five. Not much different from herself.

She could see that the young girl – well, woman – got walked on a lot. She also could see that Miaka did not like it. She was smart, she was capable, but her drawback was that she never spoke up. Big mouths like Reno got into troubles, but timidity didn't get Turks anywhere. She was physically capable, she was mentally capable, but the two opposite emotions – trying to prove herself but also fearing reprimands – fought within the Turk Junior, making her look like a child even more. Arien decided that her goal with this one would be to show her that she could do everything, make her more confident within herself.

Foster Trident was the exact opposite. He was probably going to be Zack/Reno number two, which meant trouble. Miaka would be too easy; Foster would be too disobedient. A young man – almost a boy – with mischievous brown eyes, a nose that was up in the air and a thin mouth that was always taunting in one way or another, the black-headed newbie was going to be a problem. He was also older than her, which meant that he would probably not listen to her at first.

But they might balance out. Arien had to give it a try.

"Right then," she said as the two stood in front of her desk, "I'm Arien DeVir, Commander of Informational Tactics of the squad. Basically what I take care of is information that deals with missions and basic tactics." She looked at the two of them steadily. "We do get into accidents, but we try to stick to the original plan. Making the plan is my job."

Miaka was listening intently. Foster was not. This was going to be discipline number one. Arien opened the desk drawer and brought out a pistol. All Turks kept weapons around, whether in the office, on themselves, or in their houses. This one was one of them. She casually unlatched the safety with a loud click, then pointed it at the raven-haired head.

"Trident," she said coolly, "you listen to me, or you die. Idiots don't belong on this floor, and you're convincing me that you really don't want to be here."

Foster tensed. Arien put the gun on her desk.

"You won't be doing anything exciting for a while, not after one of your colleagues managed to kill couple of others." She meant Andora; the two knew it. "Chief-in-Command sent down an order requesting the best explosive to use in a small, confined space so it will kill the enemies but not damage the building structure. I want you two on the research. Understood?"

Unanimous nod.

"Good. The necessary files are on your desktops. I want a fully detailed report day after tomorrow."

"Commander?" Foster opened his mouth. "May I ask a question?"

"You may."

"Are you Chief's girlfriend?"

What an irrelevant question. Arien picked up the pistol again. "Big mouths can get you killed too. Do you want to try if I'm saying the truth?"

* * *

"DeVir." 

"Arien?" The voice made Arien smile; she was alone in her office. Otherwise she'd never smile. "Hello, Michele."

Arien became acquainted with Michele on one of the minor missions. She was born in Wtutai, but that was all the Turk knew about her acquaintance. She suspected that Michele herself didn't know; she did not really care. She also happened to know that Michele had the world's 43rd biggest crush on Rude, the first being Rude's crush on Tifa. She was usually calm, but for some reason coffee set her off into a bout of hyper-active period. Reno was always annoyed with her, which puzzled Arien, since Reno could be just as hyper-active. Strip a man of all the common sense, inhibitions and logic, slap on animal instincts and knowledge of everything dark and unmentionable, let him hold weapons and you got Reno.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, thanks." She flipped a pen in her hand. "If you're trying to talk to Rude, he's not here."

She heard an embarrassed cough. "That's not the reason I rang you up."

"Oh?" She voiced her curiosity.

"I recently got asked to eliminate a family," Michele explained. "Reno paid me to pass on any information to you regarding Shinra Company."

"Reno paid you?" That was news to her.

"Yes."

"Who are the family?"

"The husband works in one of the Shinra network companies."

"And?"

"The name's McKinnon."

Arien kept her mouth shut; she was afraid that she would voice her surprise. "Who asked you?" Arien asked finally.

"Someone who called himself HM. I don't know what that means."

"Who's the target?"

"I'm supposed to go one by one," Michele detailed. "Youngest to oldest. The kids, then the wife."

"Husband?"

"I'm supposed to keep him alive."

Arien swiftly wrote a memo to Reno, detailing what Michele told her. "Thanks, Michele," she said, controlling her voice. "Your information means a lot." She heard Michele hang up, and replaced the receiver onto the set, frowning at the memo. She knew that git was the one who had kidnapped her son, and for that she was going to execute him in a most painful way possible. HM were the initials of the cult that kidnapped him. A connection was there somewhere, but why kill his family? How did it connect?

She stuck the memo into an envelope, wrote "CC, Turks" and left it on a junior's desk.

* * *

In the meanwhile, Reno was making a phone call to another assassin, namely Rion Vox. Reno didn't like Michele, so he opted to use the librarian. Arien knew her well; she often took Vince to the library when she had free time, and Rion always gave Vince candies, which had to pass screening before Arien could feed it to her son. He also had a relationship with Rion in the past, when he was still in training to be a full-fledged Turk. That was long time ago. After her, many women came and left his bed, then Hurricane Arien came to his life with all the problems she could muster. 

"Hello, Reno," said a low voice.

"I have a commission for you. It's off the books, I'm paying you in cash."

"Hmm." He could just imagine her lower her midnight blue eyes, her brown ponytail shaking as she shook her head. It was her habit when she talked on the phone. "I'll have to hear about it first."

"I can't send you the file unless you agree."

"My labors are expensive."

"Name the price."

The price she named was full within the budget he was willing to pay. "Okay," Reno said nonchalantly into the phone, "Agreed. Meet me on the second floor of the New Building at 10 tomorrow. I'll give you the file and the payment." He hung up before he heard the reply. He was bored. He hated desks, he hated files, he absolutely hated paperwork. He also hated making decisions for others; in his mind, you made your own decisions and took the responsibility for it. Being a leader of any sort didn't really fit him.

He stretched, yawned, and decided to do what he used to do when things were nice, explosive and ordinary for him; he put his head down and took a nap.

* * *

"Sir?" 

Reno was dreaming. He was dreaming that there were ten beautiful buxom blondes all around him, wearing nothing visible. They all crowded around him, adoration in their eyes, their hands releasing him from the confines of his clothes.

"Sir?"

In came Arien, armed with a handful of hand grenades, removing the pins and throwing them into the midst…

"Sir!"

"Ah, fucking Shiva, Arien!" He shouted, watching the women literally explode into smithereens. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Because Tseng ordered me," Arien replied serenely…

"SIR!"

Reno woke up, frowned; he didn't like the fact that his ten buxom blondes turned into mincemeat, he didn't like it that it was his girlfriend who brought about their gruesome deaths. Trust Arien to ruin the fun.

Then he realized that he was not alone. In fact, there was a Turk junior – he had no idea which, he didn't really bother to remember their names, most of them would be dead anyway – holding out an envelope. Addressed to "CC, Turks" in a handwriting he knew so well. He knew the hand which wrote those sharp letters intimately, and the body that the hand was attached to.

He waved the junior away with an irritated expression, and opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper, with writing on it. Same handwriting, explaining that someone was ordered to assassinate the McKinnons, starting from the youngest, up to the wife. The commissioner was only identified as "HM", the note said. No name, but Reno knew damn well who it was from.

He really didn't care if Esile McKinnon and the two offspring became Tonberry food. What he did care was that HM – he guessed that it was the same cult that stole Vince – wanted something from Jack McKinnon, the very person who kidnapped their sun. The question was, what did they want? Where was the connection? His mind reeled at the possibilities. What was going on? He did not like any of it. He hated all of this "shit".

"Fuck."

* * *

Reno poked at the mess on his plate dubiously. "Is this really food?" 

Arien shrugged. "I think so. I wouldn't know." She pointed at her plate, which was filled with what Reno called "rabbit food". "I'm eating salad."

Reno sniffed it, decided that he wasn't going to eat it. "I ain't eatin' this."

"Your choice." She pierced a tomato with her fork. "You're going to get hungry. We have a sparring session this afternoon."

Reno hated it when Arien was right; she said it calmly, as if she knew she was right. Well, she was, but that wasn't the point. She rubbed it in his face without realizing it; women were all like that.

"I thought the old Shinra Tower's food was a piece of shit," Reno commented loudly. "This is worse."

"Complain to Rufus."

Reno did end up eating food in the end; Arien had snuck out and brought food for him, not willing to comply with the constant complaints. She knew she was probably going to get docked a week's wage for that if anyone found out, but for her, Reno complaining – and doing his best to get people annoyed – was even worse. Besides, Reno couldn't dock her wage for bringing him food, could he? She watched as he ate what he called a "good meal" – it looked like an assembly of all the grease and sugar one could get. Arien seriously wondered if Reno's body wasn't going to give out soon with overload from all the crap he shoved into himself. Apparently not.

After lunch was basic combat training for the Turk juniors. The two headed to the changing room, neither of them willing to do the next task. Elena had been there already, probably finished her lunch early in the office, came down before they did. Arien guessed that Elena was already in the training arena, steadily beating up the poor juniors.

The training was more like "let's all beat up the Turk juniors"; Reno, Elena, Rude, Arien, Tseng, Vincent, all of them had gone through the training, but didn't really like it. Nobody likes their ego pruned, and the Turks – whether it was thirty years ago or at the present – didn't really intend to teach. All they intended to do was fight with all they could, which meant that the juniors were going to be hosting series of bruises in the end.

"Do I really look like Sephiroth?" Arien asked as she looked into the mirror in the changing room, changing into the practice suit. It was white and baggy, just like karate suit; Arien had put her hair up in a tight ponytail.

"Huh?" Reno finished tying his belt. His suit was identical to hers, except for the front; Arien's was right side on top, while Reno's was the left. "Yeah. Sort of."

"Where?"

"Huh?"

"Which parts of my face?"

Trust a woman to ask such a silly question. Reno shook his hair out of his face, looked at her reflection in the mirror. He knew the face so well, in so many expressions; in pleasure, in agony, in anger, in joy. A face like a mask, made of brittle glass. "The nose and the mouth, I guess. Why d'ya ask?"

Arien looked into the mirror again. "Just wondering."

The training arena was just like any other fighting arenas. There was a mattress, wired off like a boxing ring. Twelve of those filled the spaces, with benches and vending machines lining the walls. Elena was already there, dressed in a similar outfit, delivering a solid punch into a male junior's face. The other six were paired up, sparring against each other; the last one was quietly punching a sandbag.

"I get your protégé," Reno told Arien. "Which one is it?"

Arien pointed at a slim girl who was fighting a blond giant.

"Okay. You get the giant then."

"Thanks," Arien said wryly.

"No problem, baby." Reno walked to the ring, motioned the two to stop. He tapped on the giant's shoulder, and jerked his finger to Arien, who was waiting behind him.

"You're sparring against DeVir," Reno ordered. "Get off."

The giant trotted off. Reno climbed through the cords into the ring, assessing the girl.

The girl was not so young; maybe around the same age as Arien. White hair, red eyes. An albino? He wondered. Almost no breasts, with a childish face and a small body. Just like a child.

Reno knew Arien's body well, both in combat and in bed. Arien was not fragile, like this girl. Steel wires were not fragile; neither was she. She was not muscular like Rude or himself, but she could really pack a punch when she wanted to.

Should he beat the crap out of this girl?

Hell, why not.

"Yeah," he said to himself, then took a fighting pose. "Okay. Attack."

She came in, her leg swinging around to kick, which Reno easily dodged. He delivered a solid chop into her chin, sending her flying backward onto the mattress.

"Lesson number one," he said, waiting for her to stand up, "Don't get ready to kick. Just do it."

* * *

Arien faced the giant, seeing Elena send Foster into the mattress for the fifth time since she had arrived. Elena was aggressive; she kicked, punched, and chopped like she really meant to kill the boy. _He must have made her really angry,_ Arien thought absently, _otherwise she wouldn't be like this_. 

She focused back to her opponent. The giant was six foot five, easy. She, being five foot eight (or nine, depending on the day), had almost a foot disadvantage. The junior also looked like he had too much steroids. She knew he had assessed her as a slender woman with absolutely no muscles. An easy win.

_We'll see about that._ "What's your name?" Arien asked, looking up at him.

"Gould."

"Very well." She stood straight, raised her hand, signaling the beginning of the fight. "Charge."

Gould charged headlong into her, probably trying to slam into her. Arien casually sidestepped, chopped into his back. He reeled backwards, giving her an opening to whirl and kick into his stomach.

She did not even bother to see if he was on the mattress face up or down. Looking away, she waited for him to get up, charge again.

Before he even got to raise his arm for an attack, Arien's fist shot out, sending him backwards with a bloody nose. She looked around. This was boring. From the corner of the eye she saw Reno signaling her to stop with his hand.

"Stay there," Arien told Gould, and wiggled out of the ring. She walked over to Reno's ring, her bare feet pit-patting against the concrete floor. "What?"

"These bozos have no clue what the fuck they're doing," Reno elucidated with a very unsatisfied expression on his face.

"So? That's why we're here."

"Yeah, but if they just keep charging we can't teach them shit."

"And?"

"Spar with me."

"Why?"

"So they can see what it's gonna be like."

"I think they know what a real fight looks like, Reno."

"Nope." He gestured toward the juniors. "They think just charging means winning, but that can get you killed. They need to see a demo, ya know?"

Arien shook her head. "No way. Spar Elena. I don't fancy being black and blue for the week."

"Elena's out of breath. Come on, Arie." He grinned. "Scared ol' Reno will beat your ass? Don't worry, we'll have our nice exercise later."

Arien raised her left eyebrow, but saw Elena sitting on the bench, towel around her neck. "Fine," she snapped, hands on hips.

"I'll be easy on you, so you'll have energy for our little exercise later."

"Thanks." Arien pulled out the elastic from her ponytail, then redid her hair. Just because she knew Reno was better than her didn't mean that she'll give him extra advantage. If he was going to be cocky, she was going to play dirty. "So they can see what it's gonna be like"… fine. She'll show him what it really meant to have a street fight. This was no longer practice. It was going to be a real battle. Although Reno would probably beat her (again), she would give her best.

Who knows? She thought as she walked to the central ring. She might even win.


	16. 15: In for Surprises

Sorry... the server crashed and I couldn't sign in til today. Hence I'm a day late.

Moonshine's Guide - I got Scarlet's last name from a novel I read... it was a name of a location, and I didn't feel like going through the name generator to find something that matched with 'scarlet'. Reno is going to get his ASS kicked, HA! Kinda interesting chapter, this chapter, at least for me, since I don't do martial arts. I was also watching the Matrix when I wrote this chapter... kudos to you if you can guess which scene the first part of this chapter came from. The cult came from a book I was reading, btw, called Coldfire trilogy.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - I've never heard of Tsubasa Chronicle, but i did read Layearth and Cardcaptor, and I liked Cardcaptor... except sakura's brother's friend was kinda weird... and sakura's teacher, who was going out witha 4th grader... yeah, PEDOPHILE! PEDOPHILE! Ahem, anyway, Michele is going to make further appearance... she actually plays a weird role in the ending, heh.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - that was just a random number that popped in my head when I was writing that phrase, doesn't really mean anything. apparently Rude had a tragic love story, and the chick died or something, so he turned into the stoic 'i can't talk' self. Very interesting for me to read that, since Rude going out with anybody is kinda... weird... because he doesn't TALK.

* * *

Chapter 15: In for a Surprise 

The Intelligence floor was relatively calm that day, with people eating, chatting, minding their own business. Suddenly, the door slammed, and entered a young man who resembled a twitching mouse with his dancing eyes and a twitchy mouth. He had obviously come in a great hurry; his hair was in his face and he was flushed, his breathing a little faster than normal. Holding onto the doorframe so he won't fly into the room, he took a deep breath and yelled, "DeVir's sparring against Miller!"

The calm was broken as the officers and the trainees scrambled to their feet to watch the match.

The training arena was silent, as everyone – including those from the intelligence – gathered around to watch the two Turks fight. Sure, they weren't SOLDIERs, but the Turks were notorious for dirty fighting. Rules went out the window when Turks became involved, and fighting was no exception. And besides, they never put on such a show; usually, if you saw a Turk fight, you were either training with them and that meant you would be bruised head to toe, or you were their enemy, in which case you would end up dead.

"No back of the neck," Arien declared. Reno grinned; he knew damn well how bad it hurt when someone kicked you in the back of the neck.

"Right, baby."

They both looked relaxed, but both of them saw a certain tension in each other, as if the relaxed stance was a subterfuge to fool the opponent. They stood, balanced on their balls of their feet, fists made and arms raised. Hands were lightly made into fists; clenching put tension in the hand muscles and was unnecessary.

They were both slim. Neither of them was muscular. But like a slender knife, both of them could be deadly.

The gong rang, and it was Reno who got an attack in first. His fist made a contact with her face; she twisted her body, and his knuckles grazed her cheek, smearing frosty white, then cherry blossom pink slash onto her cheekbone. She whirled, hair flying, and chopped into his side. It made a contact, but not hard enough to send him reeling. In came the other hand, and he blocked it with his forearm before it smashed into his nose. Reno feinted a kick, and but Arien dodged to the left rather than the right, leaving no openings. She rolled, narrowly avoiding a second assault. She shot up, then ducked backwards as Reno's hand came flying.

Blood was pounding in their veins, adrenaline coursing throughout the system. The Turks' limbs blurred in motion; Reno received a solid punch in the jaw, Arien a kick in the stomach. The two of them went on at it, unaware of the pain. Reno kicked upwards, aiming at her stomach, but Arien caught his foot and sent him flying up into the air. He tucked into a small ball, rolled, and landed on his feet. He heard clapping.

Arien tried to punch him again, but Reno slid down, ducked, hooked his foot into hers, and yanked. Arien lost her balance and regained it, but at the cost of a punch in her face. When she refocused, Reno was already there, his fist coming straight at her face again. Arien captured his hand, her fingers straight. Her hand sliced the air into his face. He winced as it made contact, strong enough to hurt but not enough to bruise. He kicked into her again, and she caught his foot, but not before the impact was made.

Reno stepped back and jumped, probably trying to launch an aerial kick into her upper body. Arien did not bother to follow him, but waited until the gravity pulled him down to the level she wanted, then pulled his leg and threw him bodily into the wire. He went, but not before kicking her in the chest and away. He came back in an instant, his elbow ready to smash into her ribs. Arien raised her arms to block it off, but now Reno's legs were taking over. She could not block that.

She therefore resorted to a dirty trick. Making sure that the way was clear and he was close enough, she brought her knee up, smashing her kneecap into his groin, ignoring his hand slamming into her back.

Reno's expression changed briefly into pain. "You bitch," he whispered. Then his hand shot out. Arien ducked. Reno's hand grasped her hair, and pulled. Arien screamed, then punched straight into his stomach.

The gong rang again, marking the end of a round. They were both standing, but Arien was now sporting a killer headache and Reno was wondering if he would ever be able to have sex again. Her kick was really painful.

"You guys aren't fighting," Reno explained as he leaned onto the cord that separated the ring from the rest of the room after the applause had died down. "I don't have a clue what the hell you guys are doing, but it ain't fighting. This is fighting. You guys need to get to this level, if not this fast."

Silence.

"Right then. Back to practice."

Arien noticed no improvement in the practice after the demonstration; the Turks sent their juniors flying into the mattress one after another, and at the end of the hour the Turks looked the same as before but the juniors were hosting series of bruises and injuries. When the clock stroked two, the juniors seemed relieved.

"Get outta the room," Reno gestured vaguely. "You guys are done for today."

* * *

"That was one hell of a dirty trick." 

"And you pulling my hair? That wasn't dirty."

Elena smiled. "Is it really that painful, Reno?"

"I think I'm now impotent. How would you like that, eh, Arie? Your boyfriend can't knock you up because you kicked him in the testicles."

A snort was heard from the next cubicle, against the water from the shower. "It might be a vast improvement."

The hot water ran down the bodies with refreshing splashes, as the Turks took a shower after the practice. They, unlike the juniors, had a luxurious changing room with rows of showers and bathtubs. Not many of them utilized the bathtubs, because, as Elena had said, "you're bound to get called away when you're just starting to relax". But the showers they used often, and they often talked over the cubicle walls.

When Reno got out of the shower, Arien was already out, looking at herself in a large mirror. Her body was clad in a white fluffy bathrobe. Elena was still in the shower; that made Arien with the shortest time in the shower. She had often taunted Reno for "taking showers like a girl". He personally thought that Arien should take longer, but for some reason she always took less time than he did. He tried to sneak up on her, but she turned, seeing his reflection in the mirror.

"My head hurts," she complained.

"Yeah, and so does my penis," he replied bluntly in a whisper. "It's your loss if I can't fuck you ever again."

"Oh really." She picked up her clothes, and disappeared into a dressing room. Reno grinned into the mirror, then picked up his clothes, and shut himself into another cubicle.

The day proceeded on without further incidents and adventures; reports were turned in, Reno took naps, Elena worked on deciphering the walls, and Arien supervised the research for Foster and Miaka. It should have been Elena's job, since she was in charge of the explosives, but this wasn't something Arien couldn't handle and Elena had better things to do. Five o'clock came; the building slowly emptied out, in groups of twos and threes, as the employees went home to their families and their partners.

The two Turks were the last on the floor to leave. Reno was still complaining of his pains, which Arien ignored. They drove home with Reno in the driver's seat; Arien forced Reno to stop at a supermarket to buy some groceries, receiving much criticism from the redhead about "the inconsiderateness and the inefficiency of a woman", which Arien also ignored.

Dinner was a simple affair, since both were too tired to prepare or to consume a big dinner. Arien had quickly cooked up pasta; Reno did not complain; the meal was consumed in relative silence, because there really wasn't anything to talk about. Arien did not wash the dishes; she would do that the next morning.

"Reno?" She did not wait for Reno's response. "Can you put your plate in the sink when you're done?"

"Wha'you gonna do?"

"I'm going to bed, what did you think?" Arien dumped the fork and the plate into the sink, wiped her hands on a towel, then disappeared down the dark hallway.

Arien was already in bed reading a file – she never read much else – when Reno had finished his dinner, put the plate and the fork in the sink, and came into the bedroom. After closing the door, he sat down on his side, and began to take his shirt off. He heard the slight hiss as Arien circled something with a felt-tip pen, heard the teeth against the plastic as she bit the end of the red pen. He was about to toss the shirt onto the dresser when suddenly, Arien's voice rang out loudly:

"Please hang it in the closet."

"Arie, Tseng isn't around to be a uniform police anymore."

"It's not like you cared in the first place. But you do look significantly better with a clean shirt rather than a rumpled one."

That did the trick. Grumbling, Reno ambled over to the closet, opened the door and pulled out a hanger. "Ya know, I'm really not sure if I'm still working." Arien's eyes were confused. Reno pointed at his nether area, his legs still clad in slacks, his face mock-serious.

"Well, I won't have an idea," she said, putting the file down onto the night table. "I'm not a man, and usually getting kicked in that area doesn't cause too much pain for me."

"Well, I'd love to check if it still works, yo."

"You have two options then." She sat up in the bed and began filing her nails in a languid, idle manner, taking care so the filed nails won't fall onto the bed. "You can either amuse yourself in the corner… there's a box of tissue over there," Arien pointed and smiled innocently as Reno glared at her, "or you can amuse both of us."

Reno pretended to think. "I think I'll take the second, thanks."

"That's what I thought," replied the woman, with a little smile on her lips.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" 

_They always ask that question when it's done,_ Reno thought. _Every single woman. _Most women also wanted some romantic, lovey-dovey answer. Not her. She was just curious about him, just wondering what he was thinking about. She wanted a straight answer, no nonsense.

"About… stuff." He waved his left hand in the air; the other hand was under his head. "Ya know, the past couple of years. Sephiroth."

Arien stiffened next to him. "You're thinking about the past? _Now?_"

Maybe she did want less truth after all. "Just… never mind."

But she went slack again, next to him. The right hand rested on his chest, began tracing the scars and old wounds etched into his skin, white souvenirs from battles long past. Reno had seen more battles, suffered through more serious wounds than the woman next to him. It was her habit to trace the scars, but he never objected, because it was the closest thing to a caress she ever offered. Besides, he liked her hands on him.

"I never beat him, you know. Never."

Arien's hand stopped, then resumed the movement. "And why in the world would you want to beat him?"

"Guy's ego, I guess."

"Reno." Her voice was stern, but also a consolation. "No matter how wise, or clever, or fast, or strong that insane general was… and yes, he was all of them," Arien added, looking at the ceiling, "you've beaten him in one thing, a crucial thing. Isn't that enough?"

"Yeah? And what is that?"

"You aren't crazy," she replied softly. "Yes, a lot of people will link your name and that adjective, but you didn't go insane… we're all created by Shinra more or less, we've seen just as much things as he did… but we survived. The truth didn't crack you, as it shattered _him_ into pieces." Her breath was like a soft feather in his ear. "He didn't have the capacity to accept the truth, so he denied it, fled from it. But he's just a memory now. We're here. We're alive." Her fingers moved to his arm, found the scar. A very familiar scar. The one she had left on his body, forever engraved into his flesh. He could feel a slight pressure as her fingers stilled. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

This wasn't the first time. She meant it every time. And probably recalled that moment every time, in that dark, wet tunnel, surrounded by darkness. In vision. In mind. The lukewarm air, the humidity, the wet ground. Splash of water. The crimson blood, the unwavering command – no, the desire – to kill. Arien had wavered, that night, could not obey her orders; Reno did not pause.

"Could have been worse," Reno grinned. "Could have shot me where you kicked me today-" he rolled over and atop her, crooking a leg across her hips, "-and then we'd both be sorry, yo."

Arien laughed, touched his face, her other hand raking across his back.

"Hey, Arie?"

Her reply was a gaze, luminous and soft. In the light of the bed lamp her eyes were no longer sharp blue-green but like aquamarine, a hue not unlike his, but more feminine, velvety and yielding. It was forgiving, undemanding, tender, all at once. She wasn't a Turk just then, just Arien, with no titles, no ranks.

"About my function…" he stopped, cracked a smirk, "can we check if it works again?"

Arien's laughter was smoke; it curled its ways round him, dissipated into the air. He loved her because in moments when nothing else seemed real, she alone seemed to exist, the evidence that he wasn't alone after all.

* * *

Elena sat at her desk in her apartment, staring at the screen, dictionary spread out. It didn't make sense, no matter how many times she read it. She read it over again, eyes tiring, brain slowly turning into a fuzzy mush from fatigue. 

"_At the moment when the moon overrules the sun, the moon wielded by the claw will be plunged into the receptacle's" _– the word was smudged and she could not read it – "_and the holy chalice will be filled with the traitor's blood. The dotted priest will die and the dark sun will rise."_

It made no sense. But then, most religious ramblings that Elena had come across made no sense. It was the priests' job to twist the sentences around until it made an ambiguous impression of logic and sense to the unwary. There were vague references to moons and suns, but that was only to be expected; the "dark sun" was also referred to as "the counterpart" and "the beget", but that led her nowhere. Whose counterpart? What did they mean by "beget"?

Elena rubbed her eyes. She was not sure if the translation made no sense because the original context made no sense, or because she was using the wrong words for the translation; a "claw" in Junonese could mean a claw or a hand.

Elena sipped the coffee, now cold, and stretched. The desk chair squeaked. She felt that she had hit the wall, something that she could not overcome. She doubted if even the original text had made sense.

Sitting up straight, she hit "create new document", and pasted the translation onto the new text. She began to underline the words using her keyboard, typing in small numbers that indicated notes and references.

* * *

Cold wind caressing his cheek like a soft petal; crisp linen under his other cheek. A gentle touch on the forehead, cool and comforting; breeze tousling his hair. A fresh smell of the green. 

Reno opened his eyes, and saw the curtains fluttering in the window. So that was where the wind came in. Arien was reading a book – he squinted and saw the words "The Basic Structure of Religions". She looked apologetic as she realized that he was awake. "I didn't mean to wake you up," she said.

"Not your fault, yo." He yawned. "What time is it?"

"Six. You woke up really early." Well, early for Reno; he never came to work on time, rarely came before ten. "Are you going back to sleep?"

"Nah." He reached over, shut the alarm clock off, curled away from her. Arien did not stop him; she gazed upon his back, surprisingly devoid of scars, then rolled over, facing the ceiling. They remained silent like that for a while, until Reno whispered through the silence.

"Arie."

She made no reply, but Reno went on anyway, aware that a part of her mind was listening while the other absorbed the words on the page. "Why didn't you go off to a university?"

Arien stiffened, then relaxed. "I didn't get in." She picked up a pen from the bedside table, scribbled something in the margin, then turned the page

"You what?" He turned around, surprised.

"I didn't get in. Or more specifically… I was denied admittance."

"But…" Reno was aghast. "I saw your grades. I saw your scores. You could get in, easy."

"You saw my scores?" She took her eyes off the book and glanced at him. "How? Why?"

"How? I have access to everyone's files below my rank. Why? I just wanted to know."

"A fine reason."

"Yeah, I know." He grinned to himself. "Anyway, why were you denied admittance?" He remembered her scores from the Academy; all A's, save two C's in the final year. That would have gotten her anywhere. But here she was, a Turk. Which meant that she joined the Shinra Company right after graduation. Knowing Arien, who strived to be better than others, this was peculiar. Sure, she might have went to the Academy to join Shinra in the first place, but considering her attitude, that was highly unlikely.

Her answer was simple and terse: "The Wutai Wars."

"Yeah? And?" Then he understood. Completely. Unaware of his epiphany, Arien obliged to his question and began to elaborate.

"The great wars had wiped out half the Shinra Intelligence, but you know that."

A nod. That was how someone like him, completely uneducated and undisciplined in military matters, could join the Turks; a desperate search for talent usually led to the slums. On that day, fate had led Tseng and Veld to him. Or maybe it was the other way around. Who cared?

"Anyway, I applied to go to a medical course in Midgar."

"Go on," Reno encouraged.

"Well, by then, half the Intelligence was wiped out. Shinra needed a fresh batch of Intelligence Officers; it came from the graduating class. My class." She sighed. "Only the best were chosen, those who were in the 'Intelligence Course'. That was only a name, but Shinra saw the chance in us, and took it. They put us through rigorous tests. A lot didn't make it…" she sneered at the long past and at the page. John McKinnon among the failed others, looking at the notice with distraught eyes. The final failure, the final defeat.

"I made it, but just barely. I didn't know the tests were to select the next batch. I thought they were entrance exams to the medical course."

"What the hell did they do then?"

"They graduated us early. None of our applications got through. Shinra paid the university to reject us." She said all of it without emotion, as if she accepted everything. A matter-of-fact tone. "We weren't given another chance if we refused; there were no gap years for us, since we were to be labeled failures and sent down below the Plates. None of us wanted _that._ So we joined. Shivvalan's one of them, I think. He graduated a few years ahead of me, but my class wasn't the first."

"Shiv!?" Another surprise. Shiv was slick, sure, smart, yes, cunning, of course, but Shivvalan? A military graduate? The elite of the elite? No way.

"Those who didn't make it went to the universities; we were trained as officers, then we enlisted automatically. No questions, no buts." She closed the book after placing a strip of paper as a bookmark.

Reno was speechless.

"But I don't really blame Shinra," she said with a smile.

"Why the hell not, yo? They friggin' messed up your life!"

"I would be doing the same thing," she shrugged. "My parents wanted me to become a physician; I thought it was a natural course, since I was raised to be a physician. I didn't like the prospect much; a physician's career is covered in piss and blood and sweat. But as a Turk, I still got covered in piss and blood and sweat, didn't I? I saw just about as many deaths as I would as a doctor."

"Dr. DeVir."

"Yes, that would have been my name." She stretched, yawning. "But then, this job pays much better, and I don't have 36-hour shifts. So I'm thankful."

"Huh." He remembered the report card again; two C's. Very conspicuous among the rows of A's; so different from his own. His was less than spectacular, and he never paid attention in school. Then he left the institution at age fifteen, unable to take the meaninglessness of the entire coursework. "What about the C's?"

"What C's?"

"You had two C's on your final year, baby."

Instead of exploding or snapping, Arien laughed. "That was a class for court-dancing."

"What!"

"As Academy graduates you had to be able to dance." More laughter. "By the final year the only girl on the Intelligence track was me, and every other male had already completed the course. They asked me if I was willing to take the worst grade for skipping class; I said yes. I didn't care much for social dancing, and it wasn't my fault there was no class for me. Nobody said that girls have to take dancing by basic diploma."

"Basic diploma?"

"Elementary academics, before you go into your specialization. You graduate BD at age sixteen."

Well, he never got there. "Now what?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Vince is going to the Academy," Reno pointed out. "And then?"

Arien shrugged again. "He'll be given a choice, as I was not," she said coolly. "I'll make sure he gets a choice, unlike us."

* * *

That was, of course, based on the assumption that Vincent Miller was alive and well. And in order to ensure safety, they had to find him. 

The breakthrough came at noon that day. Reno was lazily looking up random words – he was that bored – when a pop-up obstructed his view of the page. "New message – from Elena" said the message. He swerved the mouse and clicked "View Message". The pop-up opened into a new window, displaying Elena's message. It was short and to the point:

'Wall recordings cleared. Report attached.

-Elena'

Reno double-clicked the icon shaped like a clip. A document popped up. He clicked print, and waited for the printer to finish spitting out the white sheets.

* * *

Reno shoved the folder under Arien's nose, and waited as she opened the folder, and took out the sheets of paper. Page after page after page of typed font. On the right hand corner of the top page it said "1 of 17". She turned, and saw "2 of 17". There were seventeen pages total. She flipped to the last page, where it was filled with small-print. Notes. Elena did a thorough job, and she excelled in writing reports, unlike Reno, whose "sentences" consisted of an subject – usually a pronoun that was too vague to discern exactly who it was referring to – and a single action verb, or Rude, whose longest report was three-quarters of a page long. As the commander of informational tactics, meaning that she planned the method of attack, Arien liked good reports, like Elena's. Not too wordy, but filled with the necessary information. 

Reno obviously thought otherwise. "I can't make head or tail out of it, yo," he informed her.

Arien knew better than to credit his inability to analyze. "And how many pages did you read, sir?" she asked quietly.

"Two."

That was an improvement. The first time she had asked him that question – when she had first joined the ranks and had to read the report so Reno could decide the next plan – his response was "half". She took it as "half the report", but no. He had meant "half a page". She placed the folder neatly on the desk, parallel to the edges. Reno had called her OCD and a neat-aholic. Maybe she was.

"Thank you sir."

"I want a spoken report by three o'clock."

"Yes sir."

He left. Arien picked up the phone, and dialed the Junior Turks' line. A girl picked up – quiet voice, just enough words to acknowledge who she was.

"I want Cousteau, Trident, Gould, and Vanning to find every piece of information they can find about writings from the Hands of Mafi. I want a full article compiled by 10 AM tomorrow morning." She hang up without waiting for the affirmative. She did not really care. She stapled the pages Reno had given her, and began to read.


	17. 16: The Innocents

Moonshine's Guide - Yep, Tseng is the priest... although he's kind of a renegade, I guess. He got the training but he didn't quite make it, at least in my setting. I've always wondered what that red mark was about. Bindis are worn by Hindus, and Wutai is clearly medieval Japan, so that makes no sense. You haven't seen the Matrix? it's a cool movie... granted, not as cool as AC, but still cool. Scarlet's last name is a name of a castle from Melanie Rawn's long-ass series that completely lost me after the first set of trilogy. I thought about using 'Scarlet" as the last name, but then I remembered that Scarlet is a first name. So hence the bizarre combo.

Echo the Ethereal - I've shortened your name because... it's long. Sorry. Are you okay with it? Anyway, I can't disclose Michele's weird role in the end, that'd be spoiling! Let's just say that it involves a telephone. While Reno's at the beach. Somewhere. And a pair of pink bikini. And a white one. And Tseng. Yeah, I think that's enough. Oh, and the infamous TURK CAMP (remember, from the first fanfic?) is going to be on stage again... which is going to be funny, because of certain incidents that will happen. I actually read all of Cardcaptor when it was on Nakayoshi... and X when it was on Asuka. That's about it.

Crazy Bubbling Blonde - I think around 30 chapters? Anyway, that "half" thing actually happened to me... I was with my debate partner at a national tournament and we were quite ill-prepared (SURPRISE, SHOCKING, right?). I was prepared but my partner (whom I picked solely because he reminds me of Rufus in appearance... apparently he has Reno's brains) told me he read half. I assumed he meant "half the research", but he meant "half the first page"! Reno is currently obsessed with the idea of Penis, which, according to Freud, just means that... erm... he's a jerk. And juvenile. But then, he is childish.

Anyway, I thank you three for still being with me, because I haven't heard from anyone else from ages... (tear?)

Oh, and I may have a delay in update next week... I'm moving from Chicago to London to start university, which, I'm sure, will be filled with Reno's except they would obviously look worse. Oh reno... where art thou... wait, he doesn't fit the Romeo role.

Ahem! Anyway...

* * *

Chapter 16: The Innocents 

_Those two… need to be tested._

_What makes you say that, sister?_

_Look. _A beam of light shot through the darkness. _They need to be tested. _

* * *

"The next strategem," Arien announced loudly, "is the dagger." 

Rude had reported post-return that no, the cult did not have the dagger – assuming that they were talking about the dagger in Elena's translation– but he did manage to retrieve a sketch of what the dagger was supposed to look like from the deep dark crypts that no one really had any idea where it was. The problem was, nobody knew where the dagger was, or if it even existed, and Arien had decided to do something that Reno didn't like. She decided to lead their opponents, help them along the way. As far as anyone knew, the only way to keep Vince alive was to make sure that their sacrificial plan went along unhindered, and as Elena had pointed out, they would have much more chance at that with the Turks helping – unseen – than the assassination squad just trying to stop them at every chance they got.

"Do we go?" Foster asked. Elena scowled at such stupidity. Arien mentally braced herself for explosion. Reno looked blank for a moment, then started to bellow.

"No fuckin' way, Junior!" His voice was loud. "Who the _hell_ do you think you are? Huh? Some kick-ass General? Well, let me tell ya somethin', you ain't a SOLDIER! You aren't even a Turk!"

"That's because you won't let us!" Trident retorted. Arien cringed, and saw Elena mirror her. Rude was standing behind the leader, but Arien could see that he obviously didn't approve of it. Was she that impudent when she was in training? Her conscience freely replied no.

"Let me tell ya somethin', Junior," Reno said, annoyed. Reno never bothered to remember the names until they were full members of the Research Sector, because as all Turks knew, most of them would end up dead anyway. He called everyone "juniors" until their names were officially on the squad roster. "I don't care if you die. Hell, I'd be glad if some of you died. But the President happens to like his gils, never mind that he bathes in them. And you-" he pointed at the audience, "-cost money. Damn lots of it." He took a sharp breath, then continued. "Every kick that Elena gave to you guys, that's couple hundred gils. That show Arien and I put up for you guys, we don't do that often, that must cost several thousand. We sure as hell don't do anything for free. Of course, our enemies see that kind of shit all the time, but we don't charge them, because they're usually dead when we're finished, and we can't make dead dudes pay. If you screw up, you're gonna be dead. And it's my ass – and the Turks' asses – that Rufus'll have if you die, even though he knows damn well that only two of you will be around by the end of this year! We don't care what happens to you, but we damn care what happens to us. You guys tagging along will get one of us killed, and god forbid if that should happen. Rufus'll get pissed, and you don't want the President pissed."

Silence.

"So, until you guys prove that you won't get killed the moment we get there, you guys aren't going anywhere but here. Got it, buster?"

"Actually," Arien stepped up, "I have a solo mission for one of you." She did her best to ignore Reno's angry glare attacking her; although, she admitted, if looks could kill, she would sliced and spliced and minced all over. "Cousteau, please come to my office at three o'clock sharp." The girl remained expressionless, but that gleam in the eyes – was she imagining it? Why did she look so eager?

None of the Turks on the roster had sported that kind of maniac gleam in the eyes for... well, forever. Unless the mission was something zany and insane, or a simple and brutal gunfight, or something equally messy. Then Reno would be there, a nasty grin on his face, looking unnervingly devilish and not in a good way either, eyes looking excited and eager. He was trigger-happy and often went postal more often than any superior would have liked. Hell, Reno took half the fees allotted for court defenses for the members of the Research sector. It was work, work meant... time away from just being lazy.

Or you were Elena during the first years, and that meant you either got yourself or some other idiot killed. Reno spent hell of a time curbing Elena's insane enthusiasm that often released too much information or tripped someone. Arien wasn't endorsing Reno's 'I-don't-give-a-shit' attitude, but certain cool was certainly necessary in order to complete missions without getting killed in due process. Enthusiasm blinded you, and blindness wasn't conducive to longevity. Reno's lack of care was a problem, but the opposite didn't bode well either.

"Dismissed," Arien said negligently. The juniors filed out quickly, eager to get out of the Turks' presence, especially the leader's. Reno wasn't like Tseng – he lacked the tact to put the buffer on words so that the Juniors won't be scared out of their wits. He was also reckless enough to kill someone if he felt like it. Most people who were privy to such information knew that the redhead often got pissed off for something no one understood and promptly shut the offender up - permanently. Dead didn't talk, but it caused paperwork, pain, and much headache to Tseng and Rufus. It also didn't help that the redhead was blunt and honest to the point of pain.

As the last one shuffled out – Gould, no less – Elena shut the door. Then turned around to the leader. "That," she said quietly, "was blunt."

Arien pulled out a chair from the conference table, the kind that was large with armrests, leaned back slightly and had springy cushions on the seat and the back, and seated herself. Then rolled herself over. The four now huddled in front of the large green chalkboard, the kind that rotated at the middle so you could use the other side when you ran out of space. Reno was standing in front of the large desk; Elena and Rude were to the left and right of him. Arien filled the last gap, seated, having more fun rolling around in the rolley chair than listening.

"What the hell did you want me to do?" Reno demanded to the blonde. "Sing them baby songs? Hell, being prepared cuts down half the risk. It might help not getting us killed."

"None of us had that kind of pep talk," Elena pointed out.

"None of us needed it," Reno rejoined. Elena fell silent. That was true; Elena herself was obedient, never questioned back, during her days as a trainee. And well, the others – they never were Turk Juniors, because they had all seen good amount of fighting and doing dirty work. Reno had risen from the slums; Rude was an operative in the Shinra Military; Arien was an Intelligence officer.

"The problem is," Arien started. All three pairs of eyes focused on her, although Rude's were hidden behind the shades. "The problem is, the Turk Juniors don't really have a clue what we really do. They see big paychecks, nice pressed suits, rapid firing guns, certain rights, and the general glitz of our job. They don't see that all we're doing is…"

"Cleaning up Rufus' shit."

"That's one way to put it," Arien agreed. "Rude, what do you think?"

"They think they won't die," was his terse reply. But it was a crucial remark. Reno was startled.

"Bud, you're a damn smart guy," Reno admitted. "I don't think any of them has seen anyone die before, apart from you know, disease and stuff." He thought for a bit, then grinned evilly. "I think the next one to talk back is gonna be a demo to the rest of them."

Arien had a good feeling that she would be losing her trainee. She also had the feeling that she would be reprimanded by Rufus very soon. She felt a headache coming on. She opened her mouth but closed it as three Juniors filed in.

"What?" Reno barked. He was still in a foul mood.

"Sir, we've come to protest," said Foster. Arien winced. She did not expect to lose her trainee this soon. Headache was slowly rapping on her mental door, and she wanted to shoot the damn thing and kill it.

"About what?"

"About Arien's selection." The other one nodded; Arien didn't know this one. "Why not one of us? Why that skinny wimp?"

"That's Arie's decision, not mine. But maybe you didn't get picked to go do some cartwheel because you're bad at learning lessons." He leaned back onto a large, brown desk that sat in front of the chalkboard. "I thought I told you not to talk back, yo."

"Yes sir, but…" He shut up, permamently, mainly because Reno had cracked his head with the stun baton that was fully charged. He fell onto the floor slowly, blood trickling down between the eyes, then crashed.

"You still haven't learned it," he drawled. "And guess what, Junior? Turks don't like idiots. You've just proven to be one of them. Elena, discipline this guy, would you?"

Elena said nothing. Arien was glad that the floor was linoleum, not carpet. That would make a mess.

"Stand in the corner," Elena ordered, steel in her voice.

"Uh…"

The four Turks glared at Foster. That made him move.

"Good." Elena pulled out a gun from her jacket, aimed, and pulled the trigger, all in one fluid motion. The bullet hit the forehead, right in the center. Foster's eyes widened as though as he was surprised, then the body slowly crumpled onto the floor. Blood oozed out from the forehead, staining the linoleum floor in deep crimson. A stench of metal filled the air.

The last one was dumbstruck with horror. He tried to leave, but Reno caught his wrist.

"So? Any other bickering you'd wanna say?" He asked in an unusually calm voice. "You might wanna say it now, so you won't regret it when you follow that Junior." He pointed at a corpse in the corner of the room.

"N… no, sir!" The Junior stammered. He tried to leave the room again, but Reno's grasp was firm.

"When the hell did I say you could leave?"

"S… sorry, sir! It won't happen again!"

"Reno," Arien said in an exasperated tone of voice, "let him go. He's going to wet himself, and the janitors will be mad at us if they have to clean up blood, brains, _and_ urine."

"Go." Reno released his grip of metal. The man fled the room.

"I shoulda done that long time ago," the redhead said disgustedly.

"That poor boy is going to have nightmares," Elena said, amused.

"Yeah, but you were nice, 'Laney," Reno returned. "Coulda been much more painful."

"Like you?"

"Yeah."

"So," Arien interjected, "where exactly are we going to get this dagger manufactured? We can't exactly ask a jewelsmith, you know. It's too complicated."

Reno and Rude looked at each other. Rude's mouth twitched, and Reno turned to face the seated Turk. "I know just the guy, yo."

* * *

Knock knock. "Come in." 

Miaka Cousteau entered, looking tense and nervous. She stood silently, waiting for Arien to speak. Arien said nothing; instead, she sat back in her desk, and observed the girl. Yes, she looked exotic enough to do the job.

But by all the gods, she was not yet fully trained. And Arien did not have the time to train the girl, not when Rude, Reno and she were scrambling to get their things together to leave in 30 minutes. Elena was on duty; that ruled her out. The young girl was their best shot by far.

"Cousteau," she said softly, "shut the door, and take a seat."

The girl obeyed, her steps rigid with tension – or fear? Surely Reno's nonchalant execution was all over the floor now. And Arien, for the better or for worse, was one of _them_ – heartless killer that destroyed anyone and everyone who got in the way. She sat, back straight.

'Tell me," she said, clicking on her mouse and pulling up her file, "how much have you dealt with missions?"

"?" Miaka's expression was puzzled.

"Missions. Our kind of missions."

"None, ma'am."

"Anyone you know who has dealt with missions? Be honest," Arien said gently. Miaka shook her head.

"There were some people who escorted missions, but only as bodyguards, ma'am."

"Not an operative?"

Shake of a head.

"Alright." She planted her elbows on the desk, and rested her chin on her clasped hands, looking straight into Miaka's crimson eyes. "Cousteau, I need you to do something for me. I will inform you of the mission details later, but right now I want you to take lessons from two new instructors." She took a sheet of paper, and briefly wrote the addresses, the names, and the phone numbers of two acquaintances that she knew very well. "These will instruct you," she said, not disclosing in particularly what Miaka would be instructed in. "I want you to obey their orders for now, until I get a report that you're ready. Alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." Arien expected her to stand up and start to leave, but Miaka did not. Her eyes showed a twinge of apprehension, curiosity.

"Question?" She prompted.

"Yes, ma'am. Um… I don't know if this is appropriate, but…"

"I give you permission," Arien nodded. "Ask whatever you want."

"Chief executed Foster and Rin, didn't he?"

Rin? So that was his name, the Junior whom Reno had killed with his EMR. Well, no point remembering his name now. So the word was already on the floor. Well, that kind of news traveled fast. Arien nodded.

"Would you have done it?"

"If I deemed it necessary, yes."

"Do you do those things all the time?"

All the time? Arien pondered. _Did_ she do killings all the time? No. Did she do it often? Yes.

"Not all the time, but often, when the orders come."

"Do you…" Miaka paused, and Arien nodded to encourage her to continue. 'Do you feel anything?"

"You mean, do I feel any emotions during the kill?"

Nod.

Arien simpered caustically. "I used to," she said in a brief, matter-of-fact tone. "But you'll get used to it. You'd have to," she added, "because one moment of hesitation, one stop, can get you in bad positions. Remember-" she saw herself aiming at Reno, unable to kill, "-you might not want to kill, but they will kill you, if you don't."

Survival of the fittest. It was the rough world. Those who were weak were useless, eliminated without fuss. Only the cunning, those who were willing to throw away everything but the desire and the instinct to survive lived. Emotions were fatal, hesitations and pauses not allowed. Nerves tense and the whole body conditioned to be alert at all times. Carelessness killed more than guns and knives.

"Be innocent while you can," Arien said softly. "Because you don't have much time left."

* * *

"Why exactly are we in Bone Village?" 

"We're here to see Keymaker."

"The keymaker?" Arien asked, puzzled. "What do we need keys for?"

"Not the."

"Huh?"

"Just shut up."

Arien had told Reno that she had set Rion and Michele to give Miaka crash courses in basic assassinations, if such things could really be taught. That wasn't her expertise, so she left it at that. Then Reno calmly informed her that Rude, he, and she were to leave on the chopper to Bone Village in half an hour, which nearly sent her in a panic attack. He had also told her that he would like to have one of her earrings. Not from sentiment, but for self-protection; Arien knew that as a female she would never be able to overcome a male if the skills were matched, and so she sported arrays of hidden weapons about her. With knives, darts, gunblades and pistols, she was literally a walking armory. Her earrings were one her defenses. It was an old Wutaian protection method, the earrings; they were made of simple silver, thin tear-drops. Once the dangling charms were pulled out from the studs, it revealed thin needles that were coated with lethal poison. A drop would kill, Arien had told Reno once. He wanted one of those earrings. That just gave Arien more worries. Wordlessly, she pulled off the dangling thing from her right ear and handed it to him. He had taken out his silver hoop from his own ear and replaced with hers.

After much scramble to get things together, the three found themselves in Bone Village, armed and ready. Except that Arien didn't really have a clue where they were going, or for what. She wished she knew. She was hardly comfortable without having any sort of directions.

They walked through the small village to the very end, where the lines of houses ended and seedy locations such as bars and brothels began. Arien was having a very bad feeling about this. Why the hell couldn't it be Elena?

Oh wait. Elena was exhausted after the long arduous process of translating the damn wall. That was why Arien was here, not her.

Arien's bad feeling hit home as Reno casually led them to a brothel, the worst kind too. The door creaked, and there were no signs on the door. It looked decrepit and dilapidated. Mice and cockroaches scuttled in the corner. The floorboards creaked and the wallpapers were peeling off from the walls. Arien smelled the familiar smell in the shack. Brothels always smelled the same way, with the stench of stale sweat, cheap perfume, booze and cigarettes, and the redolent odor of sex, mixed together to produce an aroma so vulgar and disgusting. Rude, with his good nose, sniffed. A puddle of old vomit defiled the floor in the corner, and the lower portion of the walls sported urine stains. Soft grunts and increasing screams reached her ears, and she saw Reno smile slyly, seeing her grimace. Loud ragged breaths, some female voice demanding more gils. Yup, the worst kind anyone could get.

"Ladies first," Reno said with a crooked grin. Arien cast a worried glance at Rude, then to the redhead.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch. You'll be fine."

"If you are trying to make me go undercover as a whore, you might as well as do it yourself. You'll be able to pull it off."

"Thanks, yo," Reno responded caustically. "First you dent my penis and then you dent my ego. Nice going, chickie."

What was up with Reno and his privates?

Arien entered the brothel, ready to attack if any movement looked suspicious. Reno's light footsteps and Rude's heavy ones followed.

There was a bouncer standing right in front of the door; Arien stepped into the shadows before the bouncer realized that she was there. She was good at melting into the shadows, hiding in nooks and crannies, generally skulking around; Intelligence officers made that as a profession. She expected Reno to do the same, but to her surprise, Reno just casually walked in, grabbing the full attention and alert of the bouncer. He probably wasn't as fast as they were, and he was not equipped with proper weapons any sane man would Well, sane Turks. But that was an oxymoron, wasn't it? Arien quickly focused back onto the present situation. Reno was talking with the bouncer.

"No admittance," the bouncer said like a recording. Reno shook his head and sighed exasperatedly.

"I'm a Turk."

"No admittance."

"Do you wanna die, yo?"

"No admittance."

Reno was getting frustrated. He got close to the bouncer, close enough that their shirts rubbed against each other. Arien saw a slight motion in the arm, and realized that whatever he was doing, it was a silent threat for the bouncer.

"No admittance."

Reno's eyes flashed, sending a warning sign to all those around him. He was not used to not getting his way with some cruddy bouncers, and he certainly didn't like it this time. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his hand gripped the EMR that he was jabbing against the man's privates. The man went rigid, not from pain but from an anticipation of a fight. Arien automatically tensed as well, and she felt Rude doing that right behind her.

" Reno!"

Arien disliked what she saw. She saw a woman waving at the redhead, a big smile plastered on her face. Her hair was dyed electric blue, and was curled so violently that she looked like corkscrews were stuck to her head. Her eyeshadow was gold, she looked extremely pale, obviously had enlarged breasts and her lips were painted crimson. Fake eyelashes. A wave of cheap perfume hit her nose, and she heard Rude cough behind her. She was dressed in what probably was supposed to be a white strapless top but looked more like a sticker, and a pair of jeans cut so low that there was no possible way that she could be wearing underwear without showing it. She was in silver stiletto heels, and her nails were painted purple. Arien blinked, her eyes assaulted by an array of gaudy colors.

"Hey gorgeous," Reno flashed a grin. The girl tapped on the bouncer's shoulder and told him that yes, she knew him, get out of the way and let him in. Rude followed the redhead, with Arien in tow. As she passed the girl, she saw her stuff a wad of gil down her breast.

"This way." Blue light flared down as Reno turned his EMR on, an electric blue beacon in the hazy darkness.

How did Reno know? Had he ever come here before? Probably. For business or for pleasure? Arien wondered, then quickly knew the answer to that question: there was no way on Gaia Reno would go to a brothel to purchase an hour of physical pleasure, because he didn't need to. He could have his pick if he wished; his money and his suavity had its ways, didn't it? Women used to parade through his bed; that was the past, and as far as she knew, it remained as the past. Still, the thought of so many women's hands on him set fire on her jealousy so strong and so vivid that she nearly stopped breathing. Since when did she become so possessive?

The brothel was dim with so few lights that Reno had to squint. But he seemed to know where he was going. She wondered why the counter wasn't at the front, as Midgar brothels had back in the days. Then she amended that the customs must be different. There were no bouncers to be seen, but no doubt they were here, somewhere. That did not make her feel better.

Oblivious to Arien, Reno was counting the doors. "Three… four… five…" He stopped suddenly, and gestured the other two to get ready to fight if things went wrong. Then he turned the metal doorknob. The door creaked open.

Inside were two men, armed to the teeth and probably about twice the size of Reno. They were huge, and they looked menacing, and they knew it. An ordinary, sane man would have immediately closed the door and ran for it. But the Turks were hired for the exact lack of sanity. So Reno stood his ground, nightstick firmly in his hand, a crooked grin on his face.

"I'm here to see Keymaker," he said. Rude closed the door behind him. Arien noticed that the man to the right could probably flatten Rude if body sizes were all that mattered.

"You can't. He won't see nobody," said the big one in a gruff voice. Reno lost his temper.

"Look, I've come from The Edge on Turk business, and I ain't goin' home empty-handed. So either you let us see him and let him decide if he wants to see us, or I'll kill you with my bird and feed you to the birds for a nice dinner. I'm sure the birdies outside would appreciate fresh meat."

"No."

Arien didn't catch him move, but all of a sudden there was sickening _glop_ sound and a dull thud. Aided by the soft light that came from a tiny lamp in the corner and her nightvision, Arien saw Reno's middle finger covered in what looked like blood, clear fluid, and bits of ocular nerves. And bits of brain. Reno liked messy kills, and this was no exception. He shook his hand happily to get the mess off, and Arien crashed into Rude as she moved away so the bits of brain didn't get on her uniform.

"Still wanna say no?"

"…" The smaller one moved away hastily. Reno shook his dirty hand carelessly.

"Feed him to the birds for dinner. I'm sure they'll like it, yo." He opened the door on the left wall. Arien blinked as her eyes were assaulted with bright beams of light from the bulb on the ceiling. It was a medium-sized room, where a wrinkled old man sat at a table, surrounded by a dozen or so men. Well-built, scars all over their faces.

It wasn't _the_ keymaker. It was Keymaker, as in a name. Arien understood Reno's previous cryptic comment. She stood in the back, letting Rude stand beside Reno. She jammed her hands in her pockets, felt her legs through the pocket lining.

"How are ya, old man?" Reno asked cheerfully. The old man glared at him.

"I'm not doing anything."

"Yeah, well, you can tell me later." The redhead was not listening. "Listen, it's a Turk business. We'll pay you good. Up for it?"

"I'm not interested in money."

"Then what the hell are you interested in? Booze?"

"Who's behind the big one?" Keymaker pointed a frail finger between Reno and Rude. "The girl?"

"You're interested in _women?_" Reno looked astonished. "Uh… right. I mean…"

Keymaker wasn't listening. He lowered his hands. "Bring the girl to the front."

The two men who stood beside her crowded in, grasped her arms. Reno looked at Arien, then the two beside her. "Don't touch her," he warned.

"Oh, so she's yours, eh?" A toothy grin appeared on the wrinkled face. "Very well… I'll do it."

"Fantastic." He pulled out a debit card out of his pocket. "30,000 gils. No name, redeemable anywhere."

"No, I want more than that."

"What the hell do you want?" Reno inquired, flipping the card between his fingers, impatient.

Keymaker observed Arien, raped her with his eyes. She did not move, and her face remained expressionless. "I want the girl. For the night."

If Keymaker expected the Turks to look surprised, he was in for disappointment. None of them changed a muscle on their faces.

"Deal," said the redhead. "I'll pick her up tomorrow." He turned, gestured at Rude. "Oh, by the way…"

"What is it?"

"I'm not responsible for the damage she causes."

"Oh, no worries." Keymaker waved his hand, telling Reno to get lost. "My boys are good at keeping me safe. Besides, she's a Wutaian, isn't she?" He leered. "I haven't had a Wutaian girl for so long…"


	18. 17: Reno's Trial

Sorry, sorry, sorry for the delay! I finally finished moving into my dorm a day ago, and my life has been hectic for the past two weeks, packing, plane tickets, the works. Anyway, I'm settled down, and I hope so is everyone else who is a college freshman this year. We're all in the same boat.

Raspberry Polar Bear - I knew you were still there! Was the camp fun? I moved and this'll be the first time living away from my parents, balancing the checkbook, getting my own bank account, e.t.c. Kinda scary. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the previous chapters. I hope you like this one... a little sexual, and some influence from the movies (again).

Moonshine's Guide - I was imagining this old decrepid guy with an apron, whispy white bits of hair, brown skin, yellow teeth that's missing in places, and glasses. Definitely not a pleasant guy. Yep, the recruits are dying - but that's to be expected. I think there's still 5 or 6 left - anyone wish to check up and inform me the correct info (lol)?

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - no... I've only watched Sakura on TV and X on DVD from Clamp. I'm not really into cross-overs, I guess? The original characters usually turn out to be more interesting for me, a little more dented out of regular shapes and stronger in personality... since I write, that sort of characters are appreciated.

Whitelight23 - Welcome to the series! I hope you enjoy your stay, and I really do hope that you stay throughout. Actually, this is the third work in the series - the first one being C'Est La Vie (which just shows how much I've improved in writing)... anyway, I love Reno because I'm a sucker for redheads and comedics. Always was.

* * *

Chapter 17: Reno's Trial

Reno and Rude walked to an inn in silence. The only thing Rude had said was "Are you sure?" which referred to Arien, stranded with Keymaker in the brothel. Reno nodded.

"She's a big girl. She can handle herself."

Rude was not a conversationalist. So the exchange ended there.

After getting another bed wheeled in – the three were going to room together, and they would need three beds when Arien returned the next day – Rude stood up. "I'm going to look around."

"Okay." Reno turned his head as he struggled to get off the shirt from his head without undoing the buttons. "See ya later."

With that, the redhead was left to his own devices. He finally got out of the shirt, then threw it on his bed along with the jacket. The leather cuff that attached his EMR to his wrist came off. He paused for a moment, then took out the earring, laid it on the bedside table, the pin end of the stud facing up. Without much care, he took off his goggle-like sunglasses off from his head and tossed it onto his shirt. He stretched, then froze.

A spicy fragrance hit his nose. Sweet spice, with wildflowers. It couldn't be any woman he knew; Arien smelled of lavenders and Elena of gardenias, both cultured flowers that were not strong or seductive. This was clearly worn for a single purpose, and Reno could guess that it wasn't to offer him a cheesecake. For once he cursed his stupidity for leaving his defenses down. Feeling naked all of a sudden, Reno turned around.

And saw something that he had never seen before.

It was a woman. No one he knew; no one dressed like that, no. But by gods, she was… exquisite.

Arien had been an epitome of mental femininity to him. Not that she was weak, but her defensiveness, her minute care to details that no man could give, her meticulousness, were all feminine to him. But it was all mental. Physically, she was not the most feminine person he could think of. She didn't have enough cleavage to his liking, and her face was too… blank. No smiles, no tears. Just eyes, clear blue-green eyes that looked but told nothing. Sure, she had long legs and a slim waist, but she was also on the brink of looking emaciated if she lost a few more pounds.

This woman was physical femininity to perfection, and she flaunted it. Her gown was flimsy and almost see-through, a white misty wisp of a thing that enhanced the body with its tantalizing shadows rather than hid it. He could see the round contours of full breasts, the slender hips, the long legs. The dark pubic hair. The face that was attached to the body was just as beautiful and perfect as the rest of herself, her skull covered with thick, raven mane that waved slightly about her shoulders and probably down her back, large, luminous brown eyes, full lips that were made to be kissed and toyed with. A picture of a female in obeisance to masculinity.

She reached out, a slender hand extending from the floaty white sleeve. Took his face in her hands. He could not look away, and he looked into her eyes, so different, so warm and inviting. Hot thoughts slithered into his brain, wrapping around his beliefs, his thoughts like serpents. She toyed with him stroking the centers of his pleasure and pain within him as she easily controlled his body and his mind.

"Love me," said a sweet, gentle voice in a whisper. "Make me yours."

Had Arien ever said that? No. She had made sure in the beginning that while she would obey his orders while on the clock, after five o'clock she was his equal. She probably would have ministered stinging words if he had ever forced her to do anything; for her, sex was a physical display of love, not some sport. This… thing obviously had a different philosophy from the Turk. He shut his eyes, tried to fight off, instinctively knowing that if he went with her, there was no turning back. But she was inside him, her hunger filling his flesh, her desires stabbing through his brain. He tried to force her out of his mind, but he failed utterly. He backed, but she took a step forward. Amused by his fight, she stroked his cheek again; waves of sensation, shamelessly erotic, reverberated through his body, causing a pleasure so intense and so violent that it bordered pain. She was playing with his flesh like an instrument, there was no place he could hide or go, no way he could stop it.

Deep inside his mind, his consciousness screamed. Knew that if he gave in, even for a moment, if he let his intellect be swept away by the tide of her madness, he would be lost forever. Her desires would know no moderation or middle ground.

Another caress and another breeze that carried the spicy sweet smell to his nose. His body stiffened, responding to the stimulus; lust coursed through his veins like fire, setting each nerve sensors aflame. He took another step back, his heel hitting the night table, avoiding another touch. He stumbled and slammed his hand onto the surface of the table for support, and felt something puncture his skin and bite into his hand.

The acute pain brought a new awareness to his engulfed senses, and he looked at his hand in amazement. The earring had gone through the skin and was now dangling from the palm of his hand, surrounded by red petals of blood. The silver gleamed gently in the light. He had a fleeting impression of the same thing dangling from someone's ear… also framed by dark hair… then a pair of blue-green eyes came into focus. Arien's eyes, slanted, cool and collected. Judging him. Her eyes were mocking him now, telling him that he had lost control, that he was no good...

The vision of the woman shattered, the feeling so jarring, as if someone was drawing something from his blood, that he stumbled. His body felt cold after such raze of sexual lust, and he felt the stinging of tears in his eyes. Sour saliva filled his mouth. He yanked the earring out of his hand, staring at the new blood welling in the small hole. He sucked on the wound, tasting the metallic tang of his own blood. And knew that the temptress was no living thing, no creature with blood coursing through the veins. Her only purpose upon this world was to seduce, to use femininity as a weapon.

For the good portion of his life, he had been surrounded by both types of women; those who made sure that he kept his hands where it belonged, such as Elena and Arien. Then there was the other type, those who used their gender as a tool. He had learned that while the latter proved to be fun partners in bed, he could never view them as something more than a function. Spending a night with them was fine, but spending his life with them was not an option. No way. And he wasn't about to hand his free will over to something that didn't worth a human status, whether as a biological fact or his recognition.

"Fool!" came a voice, no longer soft but deep, harsh and angry. He looked around, saw no one, but knew that the temptress had spoken the word. "You could have had everything you wanted! The world!"

Reno grinned, his eyes a challenge to the unseen. "The world means shit to me, yo," he responded, still sucking on his hand.

* * *

While Reno was playing seduced in the room at the inn, Arien was playing survival. Alone.

Keymaker obviously wanted her for some purpose that Arien clearly did not care to know about. Seeing the man's eyes confirmed her suspicion that it wasn't just plain sex. Besides, he probably could have gotten that for free from a more buxom blonde anytime, given the fact that he did live in a whorehouse. Arien was wary of her surroundings, taking note of this and that. The room was quite bare save the single bare light bulb that illuminated the room.

The guards had moved in to catch her, Keymaker had ordered her to be bound, but Turks were forces to be reckoned with and nobody really cared to die. So Arien stood in the center of the room, every sense to the maximum alertness, ready to strike if anyone moved. If anyone made a threatening move, Arien would blow the bulb. She was the only one with nightvision, giving a distinct advantage over the others. She would see them all as clearly as she was in daylight, while she assumed that none of the opponents would be able to see her.

No one moved. It was a stalemate. An hour passed, then two.

"… wonder how long she can stand…"

"…Dunno… she's a Turk, but she's as skinny as a spider. Look…"

_Concentrate_. It was difficult, since her mind was supposed to shut out the talk but her ears and her eyes were not allowed that luxury. She was supposed to instantenously discard the important information but keep the vital ones. Her body alert and ready to attack, she stood in the middle of the room, gunblades in hand, their weight increasing by the hour.

By the fourth hour, Keymaker was getting tired of playing the game. His eyes moved to one of the guards, then to her. The guard's hand twitched on the machine gun he was holding.

Arien's gunblade released a bullet that soared through the air with a bang as she squeezed the trigger before they even started to move.. The light bulb shattered, showering the area with splinters of glass and plunging the chamber into a deep, thick darkness. The room returned to the silence as the _ra-tta-tta-tta-tta_ of machine guns rapped out three fifty bullets per second; flashes and ricocheting bullets danced in the room, and smoke and an acrid odor filled the air.

All the while, Arien was low on the floor, avoiding getting hit, praying to all the gods that may exist, hoping that the guards won't be smart enough to aim the bullets at the floor. Sure, Turks were difficult to kill, but a knife severing the spine or a bullet through the head made sure that you were just as dead as the ordinary people, no problem. She came out relatively unharmed; couple of grazes on her back, two in her left thigh, one in her right. In her terms, that was light injury. Her arms, shielded by her torso, were safe. She flexed her fingers one by one, checking their damage. None.

The room returned to silence. Then more whispers.

"… is she dead?"

"Dunno. I can't hear her moving."

"Maybe she's dead."

A moment passed, then two. Arien heard arms being lowered, leaving them defenseless. Ragged breathing, indistinct movements, cloth rubbing against cloth.

Arien slid her gunblades silently back into the holsters, then slid her hands into her pockets, and fingered a new weapon, hoping that her injured legs would still be in full control. The new gadgets were a child's toy. So primitive, so simple and childish. Yet effective when used cleverly. And good weapons weren't weapons that spitted 60 more rounds per minute than fifty, or knives that had two blades instead of one. Good weapons were weapons that were put in good, effective uses, and she was trained for that, wasn't she?

She slid her fingers into the leather bands so that they stopped right over the nails, made sure that they were snug enough so that they won't fall of with the smallest movement but will leave her fingers when certain muscles were flexed. She pulled out her hands, then…

Her hands flew, each slicing motion of her hand in the air extending the next finger. The knife attached to her finger left the finger it was mounted on. A man gurgled, clutching at the throat as the knife slid through the skin smoothly, then fell with a dull thud. Then another. Then another.

In a few moments both of her hands had dispatched all the blades. She yanked off the leather onto the floor, then stuck her hands into her pocket again. More blades, long and slender, flew through the air in the darkness.

When the guard posted outside the room heard the thuds that could not be caused anything lighter than human bodies and turned the doorknob, Arien had one gunblade pointed at Keymaker's head, another at the door. Light streamed in, and Keymaker's eyes widened as he realized just how close he was to getting killed. One slip of a finger, one thought could make the fingers squeeze the trigger. Then he would be nothing more than a bag of flesh and bones. Arien barely had a ragged breath. She had barely moved from the center of the room.

"Get in," she snapped. "And close the door." The guard obeyed. Her gun still pointed at Keymaker, another still pointed at the guard's head, she ordered him to stand right beside Keymaker.

He hesitated. Her eyes told him that hesitation could become lethal; cold, blue-green eyes. He saw that she would never hesitate to kill. Keymaker saw that as well. He obeyed her command.

And with guns staring down at their faces, that was how the guard and Keymaker spent the rest of the night.

* * *

When Reno came to retrieve his subordinate, Arien was still pointing the guns at Keymaker and the guard's head.

Reno said nothing as he casually stepped on the dead body, EMR in hand. His eyes betrayed no surprise; he wasn't surprised at all. After all, Reno had trained her, and being trained by Renaldo Miller either meant that the trainee was dead before the year was over or the trainee turned into an efficient killing machine. Arien had survived the year.

"We did our part. Now do yours," Reno ordered.

"Your Turk killed all my guards!" protested Keymaker. "That wasn't part of the bargain."

"Uh yeah, it was, yo." Reno grinned. "I told you we ain't gonna be responsible for any damage she caused, and you said no worries, you'll still do the job no matter what happens. Remember?"

Keymaker made a sour face as his own words came back to bite him in the rear end.

Keymaker glared a refusal.

"Look, yo," Reno started, "since my subordinate still has a gun pointed at your head, I think you might wanna do this job if you don't want her squeezing. She's a little out of control, if ya get my drift."

"She's a woman," came back the disdainful reply.

"Ya. And a Turk. And she's on period right now. Therefore, not predictable." Arien twitched slightly; she wasn't on period. She didn't have one. Turks didn't have functional reproductive systems. didn't Keymaker know that?

Keymaker thought for a second, as Arien re-gripped the gunblade. He heard a defining click. That sealed his decision.

"Fine," he spat.

"That's what I wanna hear," Reno nodded. "Here's the plan. See ya later, old man." He gestured to the gun. "You can put it away now."

Arien returned the gunblades to their sheaths, then began to go around, pulling out the slender razor-like blades from the throats. He went over to a corpse she had not touched yet, pulled out a slender, sharp blade from the throat. Looked at it, then threw it. It landed on the table with a light _thunk_, burying itself into the wood.

"Five days," Keymaker was telling when to return to pick up the product.

"Three," Reno replied.

"I can't finish it in three days!"

Reno's EMR touched the tip of the temple. "Wanna try again?"

The man whimpered. _Don't cross us,_ Reno's expression said. _We'll know._

After Reno was satisfied with the man's frightened expression, the three walked out. When Arien got out of the dim brothel into the bright sun, she winced as the light commenced a full assault on her eyes, used to the darkness. She stopped.

"What?"

Arien pulled out her sunglasses, and placed it on her nose. Looked up. Then resumed walking. Reno noticed that Arien started to limp, and saw bullet wounds on her limbs.

"Arie, you're bleeding."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Arien shook her head, telling him that she would be alright for now. She wanted to go back to the safety of a room rather than sit down in the open. "Let's go, Reno."

* * *

"Tell me something," Reno said as he stood by the whitewashed wall, smoking. He leaned on the wall, one hand stuck in his pocket, his upper body slightly leaning forward. His legs were crossed slightly at the shin; his jacket was carelessly tossed on top of the TV. Rude sat by his own bed, contacting Elena via cell phone. Arien looked up from the white piece of cloth she had torn from a sheet, which was now around her thigh, slowly turning red. The wounds were almost closed, but she would have to get the bullets out once she reached a Shinra-employed medical facility. Turks didn't really trust themselves with regular physicians; mako-mutated bodies did not react well with some medications, and previous carelessness had sent the first generation mako-mutated bodies to convulsing fits and worse, death. The second-generation mako-mutated Turks knew better than to seek immediate treatment. They learned to deal with the pain until they could get proper physical care.

Reno did not reply to her questioning stare, but instead took a drag of the cigarette. Arien had white strips of cloth around both her legs, and the back of her white shirt was stained with red. Reno had made her strip and stopped the bleeding by binding the wounds with the ripped-up sheet. Rude had discreetly looked away, for which Arien was glad. If it was Rude doing the binding and Reno was just sitting there, he would have ogled.

"What exactly were those things?"

Arien did not reply, but began buttoning her shirt again, then tucked in the shirt into her belt. She began to wear her holsters around her torso. "What things?"

"Those… knife things, yo. Those things in their throats." He tossed his pack of cigarettes and a lighter as she gestured for a smoke. "Didn't know you smoked, yo."

"I used to." She registered a look of mock disbelief on his face, and turned defensive. "What? I used to smoke in the Academy, alright? Obviously I wasn't goody two-shoes, otherwise I wouldn't be here with you."

"Huh."

"But no, that's not the reason I suddenly want to indulge in your unhealthy pleasure," she said as she lighted her cigarette. "After the mako treatment I'm allergic to the nice combination of carbon monoxide, nicotine and tar. It knocks me out for several hours, and all those bullets they decided to shower me with is currently frying my cerebral. So, a rough form of anesthesia."

"Mako radiated organisms are poison-resistant."

She scrunched up her face. "Oh, and if I read my radiation textbook from my third year in the Intelligence training correctly, mako treatment also makes the patient sterile. I guess that's why we have a Reno number two who caused me more headaches than the prolonged use of my cursed vision. Kudos for your professional education, Renaldo."

"Whatever." He took another drag. "Anyway, what were those things?"

"Finger knives." Arien picked up her jacket, now ripped in the back, with blood staining the rips. She sighed. "This is the fourth jacket I've ruined." She took a drag as well – the view of Arien, sitting on a bed with legs crossed, a cigarette with lipstick stain around the end between her fingers, was oddly arousing for Reno – then violently scratched her head in frustration with her empty hand, turning her hair into a black mess.

"Ha!" Reno snorted. "It was Heidegger's goddamn idiocy that made us wear suits. They're so impractical. They get dirty so easily, and blood shows on blue as well as on white. And they're damn hard to move around in. Back to the question: what the hell are finger knives?"

"These." Reno thought he saw Arien smile, but he was not entirely sure, as the next moment his sleeve was firmly pinned to the wall by a blade, then his left leg, then his right. The final straw was when Arien flicked her hand; a blade left her finger and neatly pinned his black slacks where the two legs met. He put out his cigarette with his free hand by smushing the lighted stub on a nearby TV set. She still had her cigarette in hand; she blew out the smoke from her lips. The smoke was white; she really did used to smoke.

"Arie," he said, "this ain't funny, yo."

"You can free yourself." She began cleaning the used blades with the rest of the sheet. Reno reached over to pull out the razor that was pinning his arm to the wall, then began to free himself.

"This still doesn't explain," he grumbled. Arien fumbled something out from her pocket; it was like four leather rings stuck together, with a small knife blade held by a small clip on each ring, facing out. She fitted one to her hand; it went over her nails. She stretched her fingers, and Reno saw that the leather stretched as well.

"Huh." He watched as the woman tapped the ash into the ashtray.

"Finger knives," Arien explained. "It's the first weapon we learn to use in Wutai. Oh, not with actual knives, of course," she added, seeing Reno's expression shift slightly, "just toy things. Tseng decided to use them when he was a rookie. Then me."

"So… all Wutaians know how to use those?" Reno asked. "I've never seen Tseng use 'em, yo."

"They're solely adapted for solo assassination purposes. Guns are too loud, and EMR's messy."

"Oh, that reminds me." Reno searched through his pockets, then produced the unused earring. "Thanks. It was a great help."

"Yes, I'm sure you had a great use for a poison when it wasn't even used," she said, pulling out the miniscule syringe and examining its contents. "Thank you."

Then she flopped back onto the bed, unconscious.

* * *

The next three days passed in peace; Arien's wounds had closed up after a good night's sleep, and although the slugs would have to come out once she returned, she could walk around if she was not up for too long. She never smoked again, and usually sat on the bed, planning the next mission that Reno had ordered, which was scouting out the Northern Crater for the possible sites of sacrifice. Unfortunately, this was giving her a Midgar-sized headache.

"The chopper can't land," Arien explained patiently as Rude and Reno crowded around, looking at the screen. Several windows were displayed, one with air currents, another with weather reports, a third with a terrain map, and a couple of others that just showed texts.

"We landed with the chopper when we went to get Jenova's head," Reno pointed out.

"That was in spring, when the weather's the calmest. The chopper will flip over if we try to land," Arien explained patiently. "Then we'd have no way to come back."

"So any ideas, Commander?"

Arien's expression told the two Turks that she didn't like the option. "Cross-country skiing?" The tactical commander replied with a troubled smile.

"You mean, we ski?"

Arien bit back a sarcastic retort. "Yes. You can ski, right?"

"No, yo."

"Um…" Arien had a confusing expression, something in between laughter and worry. "Right…"

"You can snowboard," Rude reminded the redhead. "That's what you were doing when we went to the Turk camp a few years ago."

"Oh yeah." Reno's reply was vague. "And?"

"I say we take as many as we can," Arien said, tapping on a few keys. "We can't dawdle. The eclipse is coming up in twenty-three days, and we still need the traitor and the holy chalice."

"What about the other two?"

Arien tapped out a file, which showed Tseng's picture. "Dotted priest," she said. "He's perfect, and if Rufus orders him he'll jump the cliff and travel to the moon, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Huh," Reno was amused. "He's a douche enough. The claw?"

She tapped out another file, depicting a man with serious eyes and a mouth that probably had forgotten how to smile. Reno read the name, just to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating or anything.

Vincent Valentine. How the hell did she expect to pull _him_ out from his reclusive lifestyle? Reno was pretty sure Vincent not a human but actually an android who had been replaced by Hojo thirty-some years ago. The ex-Turk's behavioral patterns were just incomprehensible for the current Turk leader.

* * *

The three Turks continued their search on the missing keys; a traitor could be anybody, but the most likely candidate was Jack McKinnon. The problem was, how to lure him out?

The solution was provided by Rude, who was watching Reno fiddle with his cell phone. Arien was ransacking her brain trying to figure out how to lure the kidnapper out while cramming in a last paragraph for her report, but she was coming to no avail. Reno never wrote reports, and Rude… well, he wasn't exactly verbose. Hence it was usually Elena or Arien who ended up reporting when the females were around. Electronic noises, clicks and clatters of fingers hitting the keys, and Arien's sighs filled the room, when Rude said, "Engineering."

Arien had never mastered the Rude-talk, and Reno was not really listening. Arien took her eyes off her computer grudgingly. "What?"

"McKinnon's an engineer."

"Right…" So what, Arien thought.

"Commission him for something, then grab him when he delivers the thing."

"Rude, you're fucking excellent!" Reno exclaimed, who was now listening. "Yeah, that'd work."

"And if it didn't?"

"Well…" Reno threw a grin at her. "We know how to be persuasive, don't we, Rude?"

Arien sniffed. Rude and Reno "persuading" simply meant that they would pull out their guns and stun batons and beat the hell out of the poor victim until the victim swore on his blood that he'd do anything the Turks wanted. "What about the holy chalice?" she asked wearily.

"That… well, we don't have a clue yet, do we, yo?" Reno asked. "Don't have a clue what that means."

"And?"

"Maybe they already have it, yo."

"That's a little optimistic."

"Yeah, well, you do something then," Reno retorted.


	19. 18: DNR

Moonshine's Guide - Yeah. I'm kinda making up the riddle as I go along - considering that, it's pretty good that it's still making sense. Usually authors plan out the mysteries before they set out writing... not me. Oops. Keymaker was a fun interlude... I actually got the "blow the light" thing from the movie Equilibrium. The finger knives are my creation. so they're MINE. (goes on an obsessive rant)

Echo The Ethereal - Axel is actually one of the "Reno-clones". There's another one from the Simpsons... the dude with red hair... can't think of the name right now, but he kinda looks like Reno. No tattoos, though. Btw, getting that tattoo musta hurt like hell... I mean, cheeks, right on cheekbones? I'd be screaming in pain... guess Reno's a tough guy when it comes to pain.

* * *

Chapter 18: DNR

"I want her conscious, damn it."

Arien threw the file onto the bed, stuck her hands in the lab coat pockets, and stared at the speaker across the bed. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"That's your call, isn't it? You're the only one on the team that has the medical education."

She picked up the file again. "I didn't specialize."

"Yeah, well that's still three years more than any of us." He stared down at the still body between them, his white lab coat unbuttoned and making him look more slovenly. Arien thinned her lips. They were in lab coats because they were posing at physicians so that they would not be questioned about their presence here; Reno could at least try to look the part.

She thinned her lips and stared at him again in exasperation. She waved the file in his face. "It's a miracle she's still alive. What are you asking for? Another miracle? I told you, we can't remove the bullets." Arien had no idea what was up with this Reno's obsession in getting Esile McKinnon up and conscious. For all she cared, she wasn't a physician, and her job as the officer in the Research Sector of the Admnisitrative Department pretty much meant that all of her patients were DNR – Do Not Resuscitate – and that was usually Reno's rule as well. She didn't like this at all. Usually when Reno broke the norm as a Turk, he had something extremely sick and twisted in mind, and for a man who could probably be diagnosed with an ADD, OCD with a fresh dash of paranoia, "sick and twisted" was an understatement of the century. Nope, she didn't like this.

"I want her alive, so she can talk. After she's given her pretty little speech, I don't care if she's poached and fried."

Arien winced at graphic description. "You know, after what you're going to do, she is probably going to be poached and fried. But I told you, it's impossible to remove the bullets." A loud emphasis on the word "is", just in case Reno missed the glaring expression. Her effort was wasted; he did miss it.

"Care to tell me why she'll fry?"

"I've already told you."

"No you didn't."

"Fine." She took a look at the scrawls on the file. "First of all, she's allergic to most forms of anesthesia. The strongest we can give her is Selenath infusion, which is strong enough to knock her out but won't shut down her pain sensors."

"Meaning?"

"That if she wakes up in the middle of the operation, the pain will shock her and kill her."

"Get acupuncture anesthesia. She won't be allergic to those. Okay. That's one." He began counting on his fingers. "I want five reasons."

"Isn't that one enough?"

Reno grinned at her. "Nope."

"Second, the bullets Michele used are EK27's, meaning that extraction is close to impossible. Any further contact on the shell will cause the bullet to act as a Taser, frying her cerebral cortex."

"Get the hospital to work on extraction method. That's two. Three more to go, baby."

"Three, the bullets have to come out in the exact angle they went in, and most likely that's going to be difficult. Screw this up and she will have massive internal bleeding in the brain or she'll be rendered to a babbling infant. She won't be useful to you either way."

"Just get a good surgeon, which I'm sure we'll have plenty as soon as we flash the gils, yo. Two more."

"We also can't go running into a hospital with a woman with bullets in her head. Besides, this patient didn't get admitted into a Shinra-affiliated hospital, carting her out would be even more trouble. People talk, words get around."

"Get her turfed out then. One more." When he heard no response, he shrugged. "Okay! You didn't make the cut. Let's get going, yo."

She sighed, and followed Reno out the room.

* * *

"Ivy, I need your opinion."

"About what? Men?" Ivy smiled mischievously as Arien rolled her eyes. "No, I'm joking dear. What is it?"

"You worked in the pharmaceuticals department."

"Yes, I did." She rolled the dough out on the sheet.

"Strictly speaking, the development sector."

"Mmhmm."

"Okay. This is going to sound bizarre." She took a breath. "Know any good acupuncturist?"

Ivy stopped her powder-covered hands and looked at her friend, who was standing next to her, arms crossed. In powder blue sweater and blue jeans, she still exuded the 'don't-mess-with-me' air. She had also gotten a little crabby in the past few days. "Erm, why do you need one? Reno's sex drive down?"

"Funny." Arien played with a strand of raven hair. "We need a non-chemical anesthesia. The patient's allergic to anything stronger than Selenath infusion."

"Never knew you turned a doctor."

"I'm not. We need information. Last time I checked, dead people can't speak."

Ivy started molding the dough again. "Hit her double dose."

"Can't. Selenath infusion doesn't shut down the sensory neurons. The moment the subject wakes up she'll go into an arrest."

"Why does she need surgery?"

Arien dropped her shoulders. "Okay… confidential, but the patient has three bullets in her brain. Kinda need them out to make her talk."

"Slam anesthesia straight into her brain."

"Can't. Don't know if her brain can take it. She might have an infection, and Selenath will feast on it."

"Do a biopsy to check."

"She's a plant because she has three bullets in her brain and we cut a piece of her brain out?"

"Okay. I get your point." She raised her flour-covered hands in mock defeat. "I'll look into it. I'm not promising anything." She continued to shape the dough in silence, then asked, "how do you feel about it?"

"Are you playing the shrink? Because technically, we can't receive mental treatment."

Ivy ignored the dripping sarcasm. "No, I'm just curious. Usually it's not your job to revive a plant."

"It was Reno's idea." A sigh. "Personally I'm against. Information can be collected from others."

"What did he say?"

"That this is the fastest."

"You know," Ivy said with interest, "he's nasty, he's a jerk, he insults people, he's not a people person, he's trigger-happy, and…"

"He also has ADD, OCD, paranoia and maybe the verbal case of Tourette's to finish off the list. I know, one more year going to school instead of doing my high-pay job and I can get my medical license, Ivy. Get on with the point."

"I still can't understand why you like him. Want him."

"Because I'm a masochist with sadistic tendencies," she replied acerbically.

"Really."

A faint sad smile cracked Arien's façade in two, but it knitted back before Ivy could widen the crack. They were so defensive of themselves, the Turks. Like small displays of feelings could shatter them. Fragile, or just really plain heartless?

* * *

In the meanwhile, Rufus Shinra had a fresh batch of headache, and he had a bad feeling it was going to stick around for a while. Groaning, he released the report from his clutch and opened the drawer for painkillers. Sure, mako radiation stopped you from most form of diseases that were biological, including cancer, meningitis, to common cold, but the great Lifestream treatment could not take care of stress-induced migraines. He currently hated everyone in the world, including his fiancée, for being the involuntary cause of the entire problem, Hojo, for being Dr. Quack, and his Turks, for attracting trouble like tornadoes to trailer parks. He especially hated Reno, for out of all the trouble-magnets, he managed to attract every single one that was possible.

He picked up the phone and pressed the blue button. It ranged twice, then a bored voice answered. "Rufus, I don't give a damn if you're dying in a ditch, I'm busy."

"Or you're on the network looking at naked female bodies while you have a perfectly functional one just for yourself, plus some if Arien's in a forgiving mood," Rufus retorted. "I need Elena, Arien and you in my office now."

"Er, Arien's not here, yo."

"Well, bring her in then!" Rufus slammed down the phone, then winced again. The pain level just went up two notches, and he was getting an acute premonition that it wasn't going to go down anytime soon. He screwed off the cap, and popped three yellow pills into his mouth. Better play safe and up the dosage.

* * *

Trr. Trrr.

"Arie, come back to the office now. It's an order, not from me, it's from Rufus, and if you're late my ass is gonna be on the grill. So get your sorry ass in the office."

"O… kay," Arien said as shut the phone with a snap and stood up while sliding the phone into her pocket, "thank you… for your colorful order?"

"Going?"

"Yes," Arien said as she reached the door handle. "Thanks Ivy."

"Anytime, Doctor DeVir."

"You know, Madame Shrink?" She turned as she stepped out the door. "You're getting just as wry as me. Need some LSD?"

* * *

"Read it."

Seeing Rufus' sour expression and his bad mood owing to the life-threatening migraine, Reno was the only one brave enough to step up and get the folder out of Rufus' hands. After reading the first sentence, he handed it over to Elena with an "I-can't-give-a-shit" expression on his face. Elena, after reading the first line, turned it over to Arien with a "not-my-expertise-and-I-don't-understand" face. Arien, however, continued beyond the first sentence, and her face clearly told her fellows that she didn't like what she read.

"Yes," Rufus said seeing Arien's reaction, "this is a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Elena asked.

"Let's just say this," Arien replied, flipping through. "Right now, Hojo's experiment batch 27B is the size of Reno's humility compared to this."

While Reno protested with a loud "hey!", Elena asked "That bad?".

"Yup."

"Wait," Reno interrupted. "That just totally went over my head, yo."

"Hojo's experiment batch 27B had the entire Shinra Tower evacuated for biohazard level 2 for two weeks," Arien explained. "Basically the only personnel who could be in there were those who were following biohazard protocols. And us… because we're immune to viral disease. I wasn't in the sector yet, so I don't know the details, but according to Tseng's report people just started dying left and right. This in turn crippled the company works for over a month, since new staff had to be hired and quickly. Hojo himself lost two of his assistants. But…"

"Take your time, I've got all day."

"This one is level 5," Arien continued, ignoring the redhead. "Meaning that any personnel who could have been down there – children, temple guards – are all considered carriers, and can spread an unknown disease."

"Any symptoms present?" Elena asked.

"No, because the only ones who had direct contact would be us, who aren't very prone to pathogens, are we? But the lab found a new form of bacteria on all of our clothes, so there's a chance we sprayed the Edge with a new disease." Arien clenched her teeth and forced a smile. "Meaning that the entire town could be a zombie town within a few days."

"Nuke it." Reno always wanted the easy way out; he never cared if he accidentally killed an important dignitary on the way or erased the entire city off the map.

"Can't. We've already carried the pathogen into another area. We can't put the entire continent on quarantine."

"Wait a minute," Reno said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Which one are we talking about? Because you know, it's not like we don't come close to bio weapons everyday, given our jobs."

"The fish, down in the temple entrance."

"Oh." Silence. "Crap."

"Yes, I would assume that would be the correct response."

"I need you to go back down there, grab a specimen," Rufus said tonelessly, ignoring the three's horrified expressions.

"Uh, Rufus? If it's a level five biohazard contamination, then wouldn't that mean that medical personnel should get down there?"

"No, because Turks are immune to pathogen diseases, and the medics are not," Rufus said with a small smile. "No more arguments. Reno, get on it. I want Rude to go as well. Arien, you're staying behind with Elena." He looked at the three squarely. "That way we'd get two hospital problems out of the way at once."

* * *

"Three bullets, one in the right frontal lobe, one in the stem, one in the cerebral cortex." Arien read out loud. "Yippee."

"We can't extract it," the man stated. "She'll die within two hours. The hemorrhage will be out of control."

"Uh, hello?" She waved her hand in his face. "I don't care if she bleeds out from every orifice. I just want her to be able to talk. Now get onto it."

"Family history?"

"I'm not her family, but she's allergic to most forms of anesthesia. I'm sure you gentlemen would love to solve this challenge."

"You seem to know a lot about medicine."

She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "I trained as a medical attendant in the Academy. One more year and I would have qualified. Unfortunately, most of my patients are DNR under my superior's orders. Now can we get on with it?"

"How do we extract it? EK27's can't be touched, you know."

"Suction," Elena said.

The four looked at her in surprise. "Suction?" One of the physicians repeated.

"Suction. No point of contact."

"And do it right, it has more chance to come out at the right angle than the orthodox method," another mused out loud.

"Okay, great. Now we have two problems down, two more to go." She said as she pulled out her cell phone. "We need her bounced in here, and we need a non-chemical euthanasia. The last one's a toughie. Anyone up for the grab?"

* * *

"I'm cursed."

Rude said absolutely nothing, because one, he didn't feel like talking, two, Reno just blabbed as a rule, and three, he agreed. As the chopper took off, he sat back and let Reno pilot the thing. The redhead was better at driving and piloting anyway.

"Instead of getting a nice cushy job, I get this," Reno continued. He jerked the control stick to the left which made the chopper move to the left so suddenly that any other man would have gotten motion sickness. But Rude was used to Reno's "dodge-and-drive", and so he just sat there calmly.

"My girlfriend's a psycho, my boss is nuts, the world's screwed up and there's always some crazy shit going on."

Rude, who happened to know Reno's past relationships, didn't really think that Arien qualified as a "psycho" compared to the past females; he distinctly remembered a girl who smoked three packs a day, had excessively large blinking eyes, and in the end tried to kill herself by shutting herself up in the janitor closet on the thirty-second floor of the Shinra Tower. Another one set the kitchen on fire on purpose when Reno decided that the girl had served her purpose. Then there was this girl who only felt pleasure when she was having sex while doing headstands. Nobody really knew how exactly Reno had facilitated _that_ relationship, and to be honest, nobody was that interested enough to ask. All in all, Arien was pretty functional compared to others. _Compare_ was the keyword, though. She was a Turk, and that meant she was screened for the lack of sanity.

Rufus was not a nut. Rufus was very far from being insane. Sure, the man was a cold-hearted manipulative bastard who didn't give a damn who died as far as he was the one sitting in the comfy rolley chair, but insanity applied more to the redhead himself rather than the blond president. Rufus had been born to power play, and that usually twisted up people; it was natural. Reno was just about as unnatural as anyone could be, from the tip of his flaming head down to his toes. Who did he think he was, talking about Rufus?

The world screwed up? The world was always screwed up, and partially Rude's world was screwed up because he was unfortunate enough to be Reno's partner. Arien had her benefits – her marksmanship and her medical education was always a plus when materia wasn't around – but still Rude was officially his partner. So whenever Reno did something insane, thoughtless or just plain inexplicable, Rude was around to clean it up.

And being a Turk, Reno attracted "crazy shit" like metal to magnets. It wasn't the problem's fault that Reno was involved.

"Where is it?"

"The old elevator shaft at the harbour." Reno landed with a loud crash onto the ground, hopped off, and opened the back door, pulling out some large bags. "These suits are gonna be pain in the ass, royal."

"What suits?"

"These."

Rude looked at it without much interest. It was white, baggy, and looked like something that the Shinra soldiers might have used seventy years ago. Or something that Hojo's lackeys may have used. It had a helmet with a mask right where the mouth was, and a plastic hose was connected from that to… what? Nothing. Reno was pulling out oxygen bottles. He tossed one to Rude.

"Come on, let's get done with."

The suit was just about as uncomfortable and immobile as what he imagined. The two men helped each other set the oxygen masks on their backs; after they were ready, they walked clumsily to the shaft. Rude pressed on the button. Nothing moved.

"The elevator's dead. I fried the system and the cable's snapped."

"Great."

"Hope you can climb." Reno tied a rope onto a handle nearby. "Rude?"

Rude pried open the door with a crowbar. Reno turned and winked through the plastic visor.

"See you down there."

Rude could see absolutely nothing as he shinnied down the rope. He did not have enhanced vision like DeVir, and Reno was an ass enough to bring the glow-bar with him down. When he landed with a loud thump, Reno was pulling at the trapdoor that was cleverly positioned on the roof. He was pulling at it to no avail.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to open this damn trapdoor. It's latched." He yanked it again. Rude said nothing but gestured Reno to move; in the steady glow of the glow-bar, Rude saw Reno nod. He moved aside, and Rude yanked at the trapdoor with all his might. The trapdoor creaked, then came off clean into his hands. They dropped in. The door was open.

"Know the way around?"

"Arien did." He blew into the microphone right in front of the mouth. He was replied by a loud "Ow!" and then a bark of "What!?" from The Edge.

"Need directions around the basement?"

"Can I just spit it out or do you need a walkthrough?" came back Arien's irritated reply. She sounded busy.

"A walkthrough might gain you some favors in bed."

"Don't need it." But she started anyway. "Go left first. Keep going until you hit a bend…"

"Never mind. Found it."

"Found it?"

"The concrete blocks are kind of a tell-tale sign."

He heard Arien's jovial laugh from The Edge. "Okay then," she said cheerfully. "Be careful. Don't eat those fish."

"I don't get sick."

"Except your mind already is."

"Shut up, yo." Before she heard those words she hung up. He gestured to Rude to enter the debris-littered room that he had previously trashed without a thought. How was he to know that the consequences would be a bitch?

Finding a fish corpse that wasn't already badly decaying was a pain in the ass, and trying to pry it out from the concrete sandwich was even worse.

"Why the hell do I have to break by goddamn back to find a piece of sushi?" Reno complained. Arien did not reply, and he did not expect Rude to reply in the first place.

"Reno."

"Found it?"

Rude nodded.

"Arien, found it."

"Don't touch it!" Came back the warning. "Use the tongs. The thing might be radioactive as well as viral."

"I thought we didn't need docs."

"We don't get cancers, infections, but there's no experiment that shows what regular isotopic radiation can do to mako-mutated bodies. Just DON'T TOUCH IT!"

"Fine, fine, whore," Reno muttered, but he used the tongs to pick up the fish and slide it into a plastic bag labeled "BIOHAZARD". He gestured Rude to find another one.

The scavenge took another hour, and by that time the two Turks were exhausted and famished. "We've got two," Reno reported. "Now what, Doc?"

"Get the hell out of there," came back the stern reply. "Before it does anymore damage."

"Okay." He stepped over the concrete precariously, both of them eager to shed the suits and go back to the mindless cleanliness of the offices.

* * *

"BP stable, second bullet out."

'O2 level?"

"Normal."

Arien was in the audience chamber, watching the procedure. She was not interested in helping out the physicians, but as soon as Esile was conscious she had to get in there. God only knew how long that woman'd last, and if she went back to sleep there was no coming back. Arien had once chance. She sat on the cushioned bench, arms crossed, frowning.

"Okay, close up."

"Guess she's not hearing the alarm clock right now," she stretched. She rapped on the glass. "Hey, call me when she wakes up. I'll be in Room 204."

Arien was in her REM cycle when the phone beeped loudly, rousing her from her dream. She jumped, nearly fell off the bed in an odd tangle of blankets. In moments she was running through the corridors; however, she did compose herself when she opened the door to Room 342, Elena now behind her.

"Who… who is it?" said a weak voice amidst the beeps of the monitors. Arien glanced at the monitor; 80. Normal. She switched on her headset. "Can you hear me?"

"What…?"

"Yeah," said Reno into the headset all the way across in Junon. He was pulling off his contaminated suit and was sealing it in a bag, while Rude was putting a bag marked with the word "BIOHAZARD" in black letters on orange which contained two fish corpses. "Go."

"Roger that," Arien replied. "Okay. Your name?"

"Wait… who are… you?"

Arien moved to her peripheral vision area. "Your name?"

"A… Arien…"

"Yes." She picked up the clipboard. "Your name?"

"Es… Esile… Jenna… Mc… McKinnon…" she took a deep breath. "Why are… you here?"

"Why, can't I visit an old school friend?" Arien threw a sinister smile. "Actually, I'm here to ask questions. About your husband."

"W… why…?"

"Mm, let's just say that I'm still madly in love with him and I'm mad that he didn't let me have his fetus," she said sarcastically.

"R… rea… lly?"

"Wrong, but I'm a Shinra official. I need information."

"What… what… are you?"

"Arien DeVir, level 20 officer, Shinra Company." She flashed her ID. "Okay. Question number one. Any odd behavioral patterns with your husband?"

"He started to go out with his friends… on Sunday nights…" she breathed. "Said he made some… new friends… at work…"

"What time?"

"Around… eight…"

"Any plans to go to a party that sprang up since your husband started to hang out with your friend?"

"Yes… we were…" gasp. "Supposed to… go to… a party… on Sunday…"

"Where, what type, and when?"

"Seven… cocktail… Sunp…" she gasped, then started to twitch. Arien glanced at the monitor again, saw her heart rate go up to 110, then steadily rising. Arien stared at the monitor, then shrugged.

"What's going on?!"

"She's dying."

"Shouldn't we call for help?"

"No," Arien replied coldly. "We leave her here. We're done."

"N… no…" Esile protested weakly. "Please… don't leave me… here…"

"Esile!" Prince Charming was dashing into the bedroom. Jack McKinnon looked more frazzled than ever, and his eyes had the lost puppy look that made her want to kick him. His kind was suited to quiet, boring lives. It was their damn fault if they got into messes, but why involve a child?

"Oh my god! What's happening to her?"

Arien wasted no glance on the dying woman. She turned on her heels and left.


	20. 19: Nighttime Leisures

Moonshine's Guide: I HATE HOJO. Have you ever seen his hair? Swear to God, I think he was doing biological experiments on his scalp... eww. It's greasy and yucky. I have no clue why Lucrecia decided to procreate with that slimeball... I mean, Vincent (hot, honest, nice, sexy, omg omg) versus Hojo (creepy, dirty, dishonest, eww)? Obvious outcome for most women. I'm a little unsure about where this story's going... I even don't have a timeline, and the ending of this chapter was not in my original plan at all. Neither was the dude... can't disclose anymore, but anway. I'm not winning Pulitzer anytime soon, obviously.

Echo the Ethereal - ARGH. I guess Sephiroth was right in the cosplay skit... Sephiroth in Darth Vader costume: 'That was just a marketing ploy by Square Enix to get all of your money'... I can't keep up with all the stuff. I only played halfway through DC, because my friend had it and I had to move away for college. I didn't finish half of BC on my phone. I can't get CC because I don't have PSP. And I probably won't be able to play EC because I'm not buying a PS3... although buying it will allow me to play the games I want (FVII series and DMC series)... dilemma. Fight between desire and time/financial management. Crap.

* * *

Chapter 19: Nighttime Leisures

"And why on earth can't I have Rude as my escort?"

"Since when did you start cheating on me with the baldy, huh?"

Arien crossed her bare arms. "You know what I mean. I don't feel safe around you with this much skin exposed."

"I don't have any leprosy or anything."

"Again, you know what I mean." She looked at herself in the large mirror with a determined sigh. "Why am _I_ always the bait?"

"It's because you look good," Reno replied casually.

"No, really."

"Well, one, because you're a manipulative bitch, two, because you sure as hell know how to get onto a guy…"

"What!"

"Living proof," Reno pointed at himself.

"You played the seducer, I the seduced! Not the other way around!"

"Whatever. Three, you just look good in a dress."

"Thanks." She twirled slowly in front of the mirror, checking her appearance. "Do I look okay?"

"Your nose is in the right place."

"Reno." Arien was now getting very annoyed. "I mean, would I be able to do my job?"

"You mean, do you look good?"

Arien's eyes said yes.

"Erm…" He narrowed his eyes critically, then a vulgar grin wafted across his face. "You look good. You look good in that dress. In fact, you look so good in that dress that I wanna rip it off and see if you're actually that sexy out of that dress. Happy?"

"No," was her reply, followed by the clicks of her heels. Reno laughed quietly, then followed her out the office.

* * *

"Okay, Chauffeur, get me out."

Arien was being bossy, as if she was retaliating for his comment back in the office. What was wrong with her? He complimented her and all of a sudden she was in a huff. But then, she did rather value her humanity or some other crap, and treating her as a sex kitten probably wasn't a good idea. He turned around in the driver's seat. "Ready?"

"You mean, am I as ready as I can be with one gun on my person? Sure," came back the acidic retort. "Can we please get this going?"

"Yes, mademoiselle," Reno chirped. Arien frowned.

"What?"

"You pronounced it wrong. The accent's on the s."

"Es, schmes. We ain't here to take language lessons." Reno got out of the car and opened the back door. "Good luck."

Arien gave no glance or recognition for his goodwill, and just disappeared among the crowd that was already bunching up at the front door. Reno could see chandeliers inside the front hall, golden gilded mirrors, the red carpets, roses in vases, the works. Men in formalwear, women in evening gowns. Arien stood out with her height and being alone; her manners could probably lead this mission to success. He watched her hips sway in a particular manner that it does when a woman is in a tight skirt and unhealthily high pair of heels, then shook his head with a vague smile. Single men were watching her blatantly, married ones out of the corners of their eyes. The redhead took extreme satisfaction in the fact that while these boys could only dream, he knew her quite intimately, in ways that these men could only dream about during the darkest hours.

"She's a looker, ain't she?" asked a real chauffeur who was watching Arien disappear. Reno started, then grinned.

"Yep, bet she's good in bed too."

* * *

This was a party, and that meant she'd be bored out of her mind unless she latched onto the idiot fast. She hated parties. She didn't have the talent to be smooth, and making small talks was more painful for her than getting electrocuted. Social skills weren't taught in the Academy, and she never picked it up.

She looked around as she fished out the invitation – forged and forced at the last minute – and showed it to the man who was standing at the main entrance door. Without much concern she swept through the door, wondering who came up with the brilliant idea of having a subterfuge like this. Arien had a gut feeling that she knew damn well whose idea it was. Consequently, she would pretty much have to flash the entire hall in order to reach her gun, or rip her dress. Either way, it forced to get her last shred of modesty out the window. Great.

She weaved her way through, grabbing a tall flute of champagne on the way. The Colt Government was a good pistol, but she usually went double, and having only one wasn't too comforting. He wasn't here, but he was supposed to be. Was the contact the kind of a person who was chronically late? She hoped not. Lateness made her nerves go on edges and that meant she wouldn't be relaxed enough to do this smoothly. She wasn't exactly an actor even when she wasn't nervous as hell, and Reno's "you screw this I'll screw you and it won't be the kind with condoms" wasn't too comforting either.

"This should be Elena's job for once," Arien said to herself through gritted teeth, but Elena wasn't here to take the job over. Too bad.

The contact was already at the bar, drinking – surprise surprise! – alone. She considered waiting till he got drunk, then rejected the idea. A mildly drunk contact was good; a complete drunk would be a problem. A complete drunk usually blabbed but did not talk. She needed a conscious man, not a blabbing idiot.

She sighed, shook her head, resisted the urge to stick her well-manicured hands into her intricately curled and set hair that was made to look a little loose, then continued to walk to the solitary man.

"Do you mind… if I sit?"

Frank looked up and saw a tall woman with raven hair in loose wavy curls that snaked around her neck. She wore a black strapless dress that sheathed her body like a second skin; her skirt was skin tight down to her knees, then flared flamboyantly. A fur shawl was draped casually around her left shoulder. Her hair was bunched up at the top of her head, creating lazy waves around her neck.

Seeing his hesitation, the stranger whispered, "… or maybe you'd like to drink alone…?"

And who was he to turn down a pretty sex kitten from drinking with him?

"Go ahead." He gestured to a seat next to him, then scooted to the side. She sat down.

"Anything you'd like to drink?"

"Erm…" she cocked her head as if in deep thought. "Anything you'd recommend?"

"Same as me," he gestured to the bartender. As he placed a glass in front of the woman, he was mesmerized by her red lips.

"So…" asked the lips, "any fun going on lately…?"

* * *

"Men are stupid."

Arien pointed at Elena, who was seated at her desk, with both hands. "Un-der-statement!" She cut up the word to emphasize. "Apparently they think with the stuff between the legs, not between the ears. Not my fault." She pressed "play" again.

"… _well, I've been to Wutai recently… mm, you're just ravishing…"_

"Was he having sex with you?"

"Nope. I'm not Reno. I don't go for random plays." The raven-haired woman turned away from the blonde, examined the bookcase with keen interest.

"Sounds like you were being like me!" Reno was standing at the door, cigarette in his hand. "You're just _ravishing_?"

"Apparently I am." Arien shrugged. "Just because you don't appreciate me doesn't mean that others don…"

"Oh, I do. That's why I picked you, yo."

"YOU. Picked ME!?"

"Yeah." He waggled his cigarette hand. "And can you stop making fun of male egos and brains? We ain't stupid."

"Really." Her acidic sarcasm was dripping and burning holes in Elena's carpet.

"Yep. On tangent, gimme the tape."

Arien ejected the tape with more violence than needed, then threw it at him. He caught it over hand, took a drag, twirled the tape in his hand.

"Yeah, thanks. And Esile McKinnon came back to life."

"Uh huh." Careless response.

"See ya." He walked two steps away then stuck his head back into the doorway.

"What do you want?" Arien snapped.

"Oh, I wanna see you in an hour."

"Me?" asked Elena.

"No, my sexy girlfriend. I need her to relieve myself. Arien, in my office at 2PM, sharp. No newbies trailing around. This is private." Looking at Arien's "I'm disgusted" look, he grinned.

"You guys are sick!" chased him down the hallway.

* * *

"_I've been to Wutai… Northern Crater lately… it's a really cool place, you know, cold, but it's just a glacial palace… Mideel… Cosmo…"_

"This guy just _sucks_ at sweet-talkin'," Reno muttered to himself. "You don't talk about yourself, you dumbass, you talk about the girl. Jeez."

But something was amiss. He couldn't place his fingers on it, but it was nagging at his senses, like some fly that had hit the net. It was extremely irritating to not be able to place fingers on the source. It buzzed around him like some kind of a bee that he couldn't swat and kill.

It drove him crazy.

He pressed replay. The recording replayed.

"_I've been to Wutai… Northern Crater…"_

"Wutai," he said to himself, examining the word. "Wutai…"

"_I've been to Wutai… Nother"_

Replay.

"_I've been to Wutai…"_

"_Wutai…"_

Wutai. That was what was nagging at him. Some jackass had removed Vince's tracer, but that was last around the ocean between the continent and the Wutai Island. And his intonation was slightly off. It wasn't a "hands-down I'm dead sure" lead, but he trusted his senses in times like these.

Just then, a knock jarred him from his thoughts. "Yeah?" He called to the door. Arien peeked in.

"Bad time?"

"I was waiting for a hooker, but you'd do, I guess. Oh, and shut the door."

Arien obeyed with a frown, then sat down without his permission. "I know you didn't need me for sex, and I know you're onto something. I also want to go get coffee. So please, confess."

"Yeah. Wutai."

Arien looked lost. "What?"

"Wutai. W.U.T.A.I. It's an island to the west you know, kinda longish? Has the best sushi in the world and also the best ninjas? Kinda tried to kill all of us about ten years ago?"

"I know what it is," Arien said in an annoyed manner. "What about it?"

In response, he pressed "PLAY".

"_Oo… you look so hot… mind if I see if you're actually really hot? Getting out of that dress might cool you down…"_

"Oops! Wrong section," Reno said sarcastically as Arien's eyes narrowed dangerously. He hit "search", found the place he wanted, and played the correct part of the recording.

"_I've been to Wutai… Northern Crater lately…it's a really cool place, you know, cold…"_

"Your point being?"

"Hear it again."

She did. Heard nothing that caught her.

"Focus on the words."

No results.

"I guess my ears aren't as sensitive as yours," she admitted candidly. "I got vision enhancements, not auditory."

"I know you had the conversation recorded visually. Have the recording?"

"Uh, yes, actually. It's in the retrieval file. The contact lens recording just got processed."

Reno tapped out some codes on the computer, retrieved the file. He pressed "project" on the computer screen, switching the display from the monitor to the projector. The graphics came out clearly on the white wall.

"_I've been to Wutai… Northern Crater lately…"_

"The blinking is annoying."

"Yeah, blame yourself." He played back again. Played it.

"Wait. Pause it." She leaned forward. "He blinked twice."

"So?"

"That's usually a giveaway to something. Play again."

Reno didn't catch it, but she did. "Yes, he blinked twice," she said confidently. "His mouth also twitched."

"Okay! You're going to Wutai," Reno sat back in his comfortable chair.

"Alone?"

"Nope, I'm your partner."

"You?"

"Yeah. Rude's going cross-country skiing with Laney. Let's hope they can ski."

Arien stood up, sighed. "Gould wants to see you, and we have a problem about our trip," she said carelessly. Seeing his puzzled expression, she said, "the blond bear that tried to take me out when we sparred." Obviously her expression was one of contempt and… disgust? Irritation? Whatever it was, Reno was sure that his name wasn't worth remembering now… and his complaints probably weren't worth listening to either.

* * *

Reno was not interested in discovering what the problem was, but he had to know. So he went to Elena's office to discover the problem.

"Let me see," Elena said, and tapped up a query in the computer. The results came back within a few moments; "Hmm. Interesting."

"What?"

"Apparently Wutai isn't too kind on her. She's blacklisted."

"Bu… wait, why?"

"Because Wutai doesn't take kindly to premarital sex, killing, Shinra, and traitors," said a voice. Reno groaned. He knew that voice damn well, and he knew the speaker quite well as well. In fact, too well.

"Tseng, why the hell are you here?"

"I asked Elena to bring up a file for me few minutes ago. She's usually on time."

"Yeah, if you haven't noticed, Elena's my bitch now, not yours. So stop ordering her around. If you want her as your personal bitch, you gotta file the trade-off to me."

Tseng ignored Reno's rude comments. "In Wutai, premarital sex can be a punishable offense. Usually nobody tattles, but I'm guessing that Arien isn't everybody's idol there, especially working with Shinra."

"Can she enter?"

"She can, be she will be tried."

"Yeah. Don't have the time."

"Oh, time's not an issue," Tseng said coolly. "Our trial is very quick. Oh, and when you go," he added as an afterthought, "tell her to bring a blade."

* * *

"So now what?"

Arien pocketed her Shinra ID. "We go as normal people into Wutai. Catch a flight in two hours."

"There is no nonstop to Wutai."

"Right. We catch a flight to Rocket Town, from there to Wutai."

"Okay." Reno remembered something important. "Oh, and Tseng said to bring a blade."

Instead of being confused, she just nodded, then resumed packing.

* * *

"I hate Economy," Reno grumbled.

"Sorry. First class may look suspicious."

They were sitting in a cramped cabin of the Economy class; their only luggages were carry-ons, which were stowed above their heads. They both had weapons which they got through the security by showing them the Shinra ID. As soon as Reno swiped the ID card through the card slot for identification, the Shinra logo flashed and the classification that showed they were Shinra personnel that were allowed dispensation from weapon regulations. There was fear in the security guard's eyes when he saw Reno's face on the small display screen along with "Shinra Personnel level 2A code B" under his name, and rightly so. Messing with the Turks could get messy and painful.

When the security guard saw Arien's classification, his expression became more painful. They pretended that they weren't looking, which was made easier by their sunglasses that were perched on their noses. There was confusion on the guard's face; Arien wondered then realized that Turks were always in uniforms, except right now, they weren't. It was a contradiction, and contradictions threw people off.

The transfer at Rocket Town was no better, No sooner had the first passengers filed into the arrival area than the public address system began a recorded announcement, reciting through the same message in major languages used throughout the continents: Passengers are requested to have travel documents ready for inspection by Port Authorities, please form a line in the appropriately marked queues. Visitors with health problems would please present themselves post-clearance to the airport authority. It is the hope of Rocket Town Tourist Bureau that all visits would thoroughly enjoy their stay, blah blah blah.

Arien was relieved to see that she would be able to present her identification in some relative privacy, for the security presided over private booths. Those waiting in line could not overhear or ogle the process. She waited for her turn to approach the inspector – from the looks of it, Reno was three ahead of her in the next queue – then walked up to the glassed panel. She swiped her identification card into the slot; the Shinra logo swiveled in the small display, along with her photo, her name, her personal details, and her class.

"Your name?"

She had no idea what the purpose was, but heard Reno saying "Renaldo Miller," and followed suit.

"May I see your identification, please."

She slid her ID under the glass. The security officer took a look at it, then compared her face to the photograph. Arien stifled a frustrated sigh. Then the blank expression of the inspector's square face underwent a remarkable change as she saw her classification flash on the screen. She stood up, beckoned her to follow her beyond the door to the side. She saw Reno stand up as well, with a slight grin on his face. He replaced his sunglasses, then motioned her to do the same.

"We are extremely sorry for not realizing," the square-face began, "but we never expected people from your classification to travel economy. I'm sure this mistake will be rectified…"

"It wasn't a mistake."

"Excuse me?"

"We-" Arien received a sharp jab in the ribs for that- "wished to travel economy. Now can we please go without further fuss? And would you please notify the security sensor attendants to ignore our belongings? We're not here on leisure."

"Yes, of course!" The two scrambled. Reno whistled a sharp A flat.

"What?"

"Even when we don't get recognized, we get ID'd." Reno snorted. "Our lives suck."

"Sucks being famous."

"I ain't famous. The squad is." Reno began walking through the corridor. "Come on. We don't wanna be more conspicuous."

As soon as they landed at the Wutai airport – which was small and rural and just about as old-aged as anything this technological could be – the Turks retreated to the mountains which, as Reno had said, "was hot enough to roast a Chocobo for dinner". They ripped off their regular clothes, revealing black suits that Rufus had purchased so long ago. They were uncomfortable and just about as hot as hell, but they provided maximum protection and movement. Arien opened the duffel bag, and with Reno's help was in a harness with the sword hilt poking out the back in few moments. Reno had his nightstick, as usual, but otherwise, all they had were Arien's earrings, her finger knives, and a small pistol that was holstered on Reno's thigh.

"Let's hike."

The hiking took several hours just to scale up the cliff. By noon they were both drenched in sweat, hungry, and more than tired. Reno looked into the distance as they trekked up the hill. The sun beat upon the two, covering their faces in light sheens of sweat.

"Company?"

The redhead nodded. Dressed in the black stretch combat suits that all Turks hated – it allowed ease, defense, but absolutely no thermal control and it stuck to your body like a second skin – he shielded his eyes with the flat of his hand, but sweat still poured out from his skin. "Two."

Arien squinted. Sighed.

"What?"

"You're about to see something you've never seen before," she told him as she tied her hair up. "It won't take long, I hope."

"Want me to do anything?"

"No." A shake of her head confirmed her vocal response. "Let's just wait for them. No sense in wasting our energy."

It took a full fifteen minutes for them to reach the Turks. By then, they had retreated to a nearby tree, seeking the shade the leaves provided. Reno was sitting, both legs propped up, looking off into the distance. Arien had her right elbow resting on a propped up right knee, the other hand supporting her weight with the palm on the ground, straight. Her left leg was thrown carelessly in front of her. Her hair was still in ponytail, strands caressing her black-clad breasts. With a sword on her back, she looked in ease, as if she did this all the time.

As Arien realized a new shadow, she looked up. Saw two young men – barely out of boyhood – clad in leather tunics, belted at the waist. Long cotton trousers covered the legs, tucked into boots. Both of them wore swords on their backs. Twins.

Both of them bowed. She inclined her head in return, not bothering to get up. "What brings you here, gentlemen?"

"You're Wutaian," said the boy on the left.

"Indeed I am."

"I challenge you by the name of our master," said the boy on the right.

"Hm." Arien raised an eyebrow. "Who sent you two after me?"

"The archpriest."

"Ah." She stood up, balancing on the balls of her feet like a stalking cat. Reno looked up at her, grinned, bud otherwise did not move. "And my crime?"

"You have been coupling with…him." The challenger pointed at Reno. Arien nodded.

"So I have." A careless shrug. "And?"

"That is a sin."

"What's going on, yo?" Reno asked as he stood up. He leaned onto the tree, arms crossed. "What do these kids want?"

"They – he – challenged me," Arien explained calmly. "By their master's name. It's a Master's Challenge."

"A what?"

"It means that if I accept their challenge-" she gestured toward them, "and I lose, I get to be brought in front of the conclave and be judged."

"And if you win?"

"We go free." She turned toward the challenger. "Are you sure you want to challenge me by your master's name?"

A nod.

"Very well then." She stepped out of the shade. "Where shall we mete out the justice? Here?"

"No," said the companion. "In the central arena."

* * *

The sun beat hotly down the backs, and Reno was sweating profusely in the black that stuck to him like second skin. It was clinging and annoying, like a possessive woman's hands. He had a girl once like that, and because her obsession went beyond the norms and became hazardous, he was forced to dispatch her. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.

Arien was sweating as well; her black hair was stuck to her scalp, and a shiny sheen decorated her pale skin. Her eyes were clear, however, undaunted by the hazy, humid atmosphere. She also wore a pair of black gloves to reduce the slippage from sweat. Her hair swished like a real pony's tail as she moved. "Draw the circle."

Reno continued to watch, unsure of what was going on. The boy shook his head. "You are the challenged. You have the right."

"I refuse that right. I'm your elder. Now draw the circle."

The boy nodded. Unsheathed the sword. Removed the harness, threw it onto the ground. Then began to draw the circle.

Arien also removed her harness, unsheathed her blade. "Death-dance," she said casually, stepping into the circle.

"Death-dance!"

Arien nodded as she stuck the blade into the ground, hilt-up in the center of the circle. "You drew the circle. I get to decide."

"It was not meant to be to death," the boy protested.

"Too bad. You fell into the trick." A sly sneer. "Hurry up."

"I may rescind my challenge," the boy stated worriedly.

"Of course you may. But usually the challenged refuses to engage, not the challenger. It might look like cowardice, and of course a fully-trained justice-enforcer shouldn't be afraid to take on a half-trained whelp." Another shrug. "Either way, not my problem."

The boy stood, baffled. Arien scowled.

"Look, I'm a busy person. I have places to go. Can you please make up your mind?"

The boy seemed to have made up his mind. He jammed the sword into the middle of the circle. Both Arien and the boy stepped out of the circle. Bowed to each other.

At that point, Reno saw who was more seasoned. The boy was younger, more springy, but he didn't know all the dirty tricks to survival in a battle. He took his eyes off the opponent during the bow, but Arien never did. She was assessing his muscle movements, his strength, dexterity, adding it to her calculations, computing the best method of win.

"Here stands the accused, Arien DeVir, of impure fornication, of murder, and conspiring with the enemies," came the voice from the highest tower that looked down upon the arena. "Let the justice be swift, victory for the innocent, defeat for the guilty."

"Prepare."

The boy tensed. Arien looked relaxed, but now she was on the balls of her feet, just like he had taught her – always shifting balance, ready to move fast.

"Dance."

Reno had never heard of these dances before, but he could see why it was called a dance. It looked about seven and half feet in radius, from where Arien was standing to the sword. Arien had longer legs, and Arien was faster. Before the boy even picked up his sword, she had yanked her sword out, twisted it, and hooked his sword out of his grasp. He whipped out a dagger and threw it; she deflected it, but he had already lunged for the sword. The battle was on.

Thrust, parry, side step. In a rapid movement both moved, white loose garment against the black silhouette. The opponent used wide arcs and larger movements, while Arien relied on her wrists and kept tight, jabbing patterns. Considering that the boy had almost identical physique to the woman except for the gender, he might have been better-suited to the tighter moves. Metals clashed against each other; feet jumped, kicked, side-stepped. Silver arcs flared in the sunlight.

Then one of the blades was no longer silver, but crimson. Reno started; Arien's blade was dripping blood. A gut wound. Slow, agonizing death.

"Yield?"

Reno scowled. The poor idiot couldn't gag, let alone speak from pain. Arien was just being damn cruel.

"I see that you won't."

The boy pleaded with his eyes. She paid no heed. Without warning, she ran him through the stomach, pinning him to the ground like a butterfly.

Everyone was appalled and disgusted by the unnecessary violence. Then that authoritative voice:

"Begone. You are proclaimed innocent."

Arien raised her head from the dying male. "Because I'm innocent," she yelled, "I demand the right to stay here as much as I want."

A shocked gasp reverberated throughout the audience.

"Denied."

"Then your justice is prejudiced, and this man died for nothing."

"We cannot grant you that right, Arien DeVir."

"Then you admit that your justice is just about as crooked as a viper."

The sinister allusion shut everyone up. The silence followed, but Reno saw Arien's mouth curve into a triumphant smile.

* * *

The permission was granted; the two set out to hunt down their son. Unfortunately, their efforts were currently going fruitless. Arien was not in a happy mood; what was worse, her gunblades needed severe repair after using it violently in a heavy gunfight in an alley, and so she had to resort to pistols that she had found in the Shinra building armory. She picked Colt Government, but it was heavyweight for her for its power. She had hardly any sleep, her injuries weren't healing as well as she had liked due to lack of proper medical care, could not eat, and was consequently very cranky.

Reno suffered the full verbal blows, and returned it thricefold. Their sarcasms gradually grew to painful levels, and their jibes had ceased to be playful and became more hurtful. Sometimes it nearly got to a physical fight, although they stopped before the first blow landed. They both knew that if they began, they'd never stop, and they'd continue until one of them died. And both knew who'd live – and it wasn't Arien. Arien didn't fancy dying yet, and Reno didn't want to kill her. So one of them always left before blows flew. But all in all, both were in extreme stress and fatigue, and their partnership was getting rocky.

It was one of those nights that left Arien walking out, guns in hand, furious with herself and Reno, a dark heavy scowl on her face. She left the door open and disappeared into the darkness, headache coming.

She walked aimlessly for an hour, cooling off, wishing that this'd end; it always ended with that night, when they shot at each other. It was still painful, that memory, like a sliver in their relationship that made a chink in the armor. She didn't know who was hanging onto the past – maybe both.

She entered the dark forest, not caring. Nor did she hear the soft footsteps behind her, which was very unlikely of her. It was too late when she finally realized that she had someone behind her.

She stopped her gait, tensed.

_Shit._ Why did she not foresee this?

_Fuck._

Well, what could she do? Best thing was to attack, but she had no idea _what_ the thing was. She didn't want to waste her bullet on a raccoon, did she?

Then a bullet whizzed past her ear.

_That's it. _

She broke out into a run, using the trees as her shield. She sidestepped a fallen log, nearly tripping on it, then whirled, and haphazardly shot. She could clearly see the man; it was a silver-haired man with unbelievably large guns, wearing a long, red jacket. He looked a little like Vincent Valentine, but did not have the gravity the vampire had. Two guns. Double-shot.

_Pro. Shit._

He dodged, and shot again. She narrowly dodged it, but it lightly grazed her arm, cutting open the black shirt she was wearing. Thin trickle of blood trailed down; it was painful.

She looked around, looking for shelter. Found a hut.

She bolted for it.

He shot again, but she did not realize as one landed in her thigh. Her thigh was just healed, but the adrenaline nullified the pain. She dived, rolled into the hut. She was on her legs in a nanosecond, guns pointed at the entryway.

Nothing.

She backed into the hallway, and into a bedroom. She quietly shut the door, hoping that the door wouldn't creak. She sat down on the bare bed, wincing in pain as she realized her injury. Great. Thigh, just healed, shot through.

Creak. She jumped up, guns up and ready to fire.

As the man kicked the door open, the bullets were slicing through the air, directly to him. Thirteen more followed; she reloaded without a pause, ducked, and shot at his foot, hoping that would deter him. She rolled, into…

The moonlight.

The moonbeam shot at her face. And to her utter surprise, he lowered his guns, surprise on his face.

She shot.

Then she felt a heavy impact on her head, and then everything went black.


	21. 20: Placing Bets

Okay, I haven't updated this in two weeks, and I blame THAT on med school. Maybe I should switch my major to English literature instead... errr, no, that wouldn't work.

I am also somewhat pleased and errr... sad? that my Hysteria series is gaining more approval than this. I mean, yes, I know, I can't write romance for baloney and I'm hilarious, and I probably shouldn't be doing a mushy Reno romance anyway (I've just realised that Reno and mushy romance don't even belong in the same sentence... craaap). But this is WORKING DAMN IT!

P.S. I am not drunk.

Moonshine's Guide - fight scenes? Errr, watch WHOLE BUNCH of action movies. Matrix, The Crow, Enter the Dragon, Jackie Chan, Underworld, Bourne Series, Equilibrium, FFVII AC (oh wait, we've ALL watched that...), Lara Croft. NOT PoTC, their combat scenes suck, and most likely **I** can take out Keira Knightley and I weigh less than what I should. As for the dress - Remember, Arien is a Turk, which means that she was screened for lack of modesty, sanity, personal care, heart, e.t.c. e.t.c. On Hojo... I'm sure Lucrecia was madly in love with him. No wonder Sephiroth went loony.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - uh... fuck. You found me out. It is modeled after DMC... (which I never beat, damn you college). Except Dante Version 2.9 (AKA my version) is more somber and more cynical. HA! It's not a rip-off, so nobody can tell me it's not canon. Anyway, This mystery dude who shall go nameless because if I name him Dante I'd get in serious trouble with the company shall be playing a role in this story. Lady and Trish will not be playing a role, since Reno is a pimp already and throwing Dante/Lady/Trish combo will create two pimps, and we do not want pimp wars.

G.P. Larue - I updated! (claps) Considering that a lot of my readers abandoned me to my fate post-knowledge that I have serious abandonment issues, any fan will be welcome (and while at that, any available males with height over 6' around? No? Damn it). Arien is actually based off me... except I actually gain weight when I eat, unlike her. I also do not have a Reno at my disposal like she does (although if I did, no one would ever see us again because... erm... I'll stop now, since this is rated PG 13). I can actually shoot relatively well, however, given the restrictions that there is a supervisor. Hmm.

* * *

Chapter 20: Placing Bets

Elena shut off the headset on her head with a touch of the touch-sensitive button on her earpiece. She snapped on her snow goggles in place; each breath turned pure white, and Elena seriously wondered if her nose was going to freeze off. Her ears were protected under earmuffs, but that made Rude's voice inaudible. This was going to turn into a big inconvenience, no doubt.

Rude was moving his mouth; Elena cupped her gloved ears, gesturing him that she couldn't hear him. He switched the headset on.

"What's the plan?" echoed through her earpiece.

"Reno wants us to scout the place for the ritual… apparently it's an ice cave."

"Any ideas?"

"Nope. Reno didn't leave any clues."

Rude sighed, but what was he to do? Reno was the leader, and for some reason he didn't leave any information. Maybe he believed that they were capable of finding the damn cave without any clues; maybe he was just a lazy ass. Who knew?

"He said something about going up north," Elena continued, trying to ignore Rude's twitching around the eyes. That was usually the tell-tale sign that he wasn't being a happy camper. "This place is riddled with caves. Might as well as search every single one of them."

"How many days do we have?"

Elena looked down. "Fifteen days."

Fifteen days. Was that long enough to find a single suitable cave from a large area, precarious and full of danger at best? They both wandered the same thing, did not say anything. There was no point voicing out their fears; not saying them would at least be less precipitous to bad events. For the Turks, who all had bad experiences with fates in the last decade or two, not messing with it in any way was a better approach.

Elena started, balancing her body on the skis, pushing herself forward with her sticks. Rude followed, a little slower, but steadily gaining speed.

This was going to be a long search.

* * *

Arien woke up, tied up on a table. Her head was throbbing with pain; she stifled a groan as the pain assaulted her with renewed fury. God, it hurt. Somebody – a male, she presumed – had really packed a punch in her head.

Her guns were gone, and that pissed her off. Her knives were gone as well, and that made her feel a little insecure. Thankfully, her earrings were still there; those were about the only weapons she possessed, putting her in immense disadvantage. Sure, she was a seasoned fighter by any means, but the enemy looked like a pro as well. And when it came to equal skills, the sheer power exuded by the males overruled females' anytime of the day. She knew that firsthand when she sparred with Reno; his kicks were heavier and packed more momentum, just because Reno had XY chromosome, it seemed. Her punches were faster, sharper, but still Reno's attacks damaged more than she did.

And the guy was easily 6'3". That was also a disadvantage; it meant she had shorter arms and legs. So while he could punch at 3', she'd have to get closer to land a hit.

"Awake, I see."

The voice was deep and careless, terse, unlike Reno's lazy drawl. She tensed as he closed in, but all he did was remove the gag from her mouth.

"What are you doing here?"

What an odd first question… usually it was "who are you". "I might ask you the same question," she retorted; a smile flickered across the man's face in the darkness.

"Fair enough," he acquiesced. "I'm here, hunting down a cult. It was last traced here."

Arien's hand twitched slightly. He saw it; "Your turn."

"Same," she admitted honestly.

"Same?"

"I'm following a cult. It was last traced here." Then: "can you untie me, please? I'm getting cramps in my arms."

"Not until I hear which cult."

What was his problem? Arien was getting agitated. "Hands of Mafi," she snapped. "Now untie me!"

When he finally untied her, she lighted a candle that was standing on the night table with a lighter. The candle glow illuminated the man's face with strong jaw and a slightly aquiline nose, silver shaggy hair covering half his vision. So unlike Reno's. Reno had a delicate, nearly effeminate face that just said "I'm a slick womanizer"; his smile was crooked and sly. This guy didn't smile or grin; he barely changed his facial expression. If was a different type of a guy, and that threw her off.

"Name?" He stretched his hand, which she grasped to help herself get up.

"I don't give out my name to strangers…" she felt the cold steel nicking her throat. "Go on, run me through. Can't give you my name, though."

"Fine." The huge sword returned to his back. She stood up, stretched, then automatically went for her weapons.

"You're a Turk, aren't you?"

Arien stopped, stared. Not many people could distinguish a Turk, especially when they were out of suits. And this one just named her off the bat. She did not changer her facial expression, but her eyes showed her surprise. "How do you know?"

"The way you shot… it's Turk-style." He said quietly. Then he looked at her hair, her face.

"You're Renaldo Miller's woman, aren't you?"

Now_that_ she hated. She was not Reno's, period, and she hated it when she was nobody but just 'Reno's woman". What piqued her curiosity more than her anger, however, was that someone knew Reno's full name. Not much people knew Reno period, let alone his real first name and his last name, which he never used in public. He was billed under "Roy Johnson", his alias was Reno. Hmm.

"How do you know him?"

The guy looked surprised. "Miller?" He reiterated. "He's quite famous in the field… DeVir. Always scores what he aims." He paused, enough to make her realize that… he knew her name as well.

"You fucking bastard. You knew my name already."

He just smiled.

"I think I know you, though," Arien said, hopping off the board she was tied to just few minutes previously. "Formerly known as Tony Redgraves. Demon hunter, level 28. Impressive."

"How do you know my level?"

"Everything's on the Shinra file," Arien replied coolly. "And I am a Turk, after all."

"Mm."

The guy picked up Arien's pistol. "Colt Government," he observed. "Why did you pick that?"

"I like the pistol. It packs enough power." She smiled. "You use guns like Colt too… a bit large, though."

"Custom made." He twirled his own pistol in his large hand. "You don't look like you use Colt usually."

"I don't," she admitted. "I use gunblades usually… customized so they're small enough for me."

"And now?"

"Got in a heavy gunfight. The springs are busted."

He said nothing. Arien smiled again. "Say, do you want to do a bet?"

"A bet?"

"Yes, a bet." Arien grabbed her Colt out of his hand with a quick motion. "You win, I'll give you 50,000 gils."

"And you win?"

"You help us find our son… and track down the cult."

* * *

"Who. The. Hell. Is. That."

Reno's eyes told Arien that she was stepping on thin ice. She shrugged it off. "Hey Reno, I placed a bet."

"Yeah. Great. Go do it."

"Actually, I placed a bet that you'd win over him in a card game. So I can't 'go do it'. Sorry."

Reno removed his feet from the table, scowl on his face. "How much?"

"50 grand if he wins, he helps us – and we could use his help a lot – if we win."

Reno thought about it. "Fine." He gestured Arien to bring the cards from the drawer in the desk.

"Dealer?"

"DeVir can do it," said the man.

"You know her name?"

"Know yours too, Miller. Turks are famous if you're in the field."

"Huh." Arien and the guy sat down at the table where Reno was already sitting. "What game?"

"Blackjack or poker."

Arien did not change her expression, but her eyes told the guy desperately that the two games were the worst choices. In her years with Reno, she had never seen him lose either game, and he had gambled countless times, some for fun, some to pry information out of people, some others to grab quick cash. And the Turks were notorious (for those who knew it) for being good at gambling too. Reno had always won over every Turk – Tseng, Rude, Elena, and Arien herself had lost considerable amounts of money to the redhead. Sure, he sucked at silly games like War and Crazy Eights, but when it came to actual gambling games he probably could survive in extreme luxury in a casino.

"Blackjack, then."

Wrong choice. Arien said nothing as she dealt out the cards; there was nothing to be said. Reno took a look at his own: then said, "Hit me."

"Hit me as well."

Arien threw a card to each man. Dealing was boring.

"Hit me," Reno said again.

"I'll stand."

Another card came flying toward the redhead.

"Double down."

"Are you sure?"

Reno grinned. "Oh yeah… hit me big time, babe."

Another card.

"Stand."

"Let's see it," Arien said, tapping out a beat with her left foot. Reno went first.

"21. Blackjack."

The man had a twenty. Reno collected a tidy amount of chips.

"Go again."

The game went on for hours, but it was getting obvious that Reno was winning. Arien was not surprised at all; in fact, she wondered why he couldn't finish it faster, as just dealing cards out was boring as hell. When the man's chips were all gone, she was actually relieved.

"Guess you're working for us," Reno said cheerfully.

* * *

Reno actually liked watching Arien sleep, especially after waking up from a rather intimate session in bed. This time, she was just asleep, burying her nose into the duvet and her spread on the pillow, her arm nestled under her head. Arien never used his arm as a pillow, which was something he was glad about. His arm always got numb after a woman's head had rested on it for couple of hours. She was curled up in a fetal position, toward him.

"_It all meant to be a single play; turned into long version."_

He smiled at that. It was how Arien had explained their relationship to the mysterious Vincent-goes-albino-head. It was short but sufficient. The redhead guessed that there was more than just Darren Blake in Arien's past, but he said nothing about it; she once mentioned that she had a fleeting innocent affair with a traveler when she was in Mideel, but that it lead nowhere. As far as it was innocent – and Reno knew _that_ – he didn't give a shit.

A sunlight hit her nose as she moved her head. As if tickled by the sunlight, she sneezed; her eyes fluttered.

"Mmm."

She never said "good morning" when she woke up; she always mumbled "mmm".

"I have bad news, baby."

Arien's eyes were wide open, indicating that he had her full attention.

"Our bank accounts are locked."

"WHAT?"

* * *

Arien's voice was loud when she yelled, but magnified a thousand times by the phone right by his ear, Rufus' migraine went up to level 5 and was still increasing. He silently wished for painkillers, but stronger doses would mess with his silicate cells. Apparently near-immortality, rapid cell growth, and all the other assets of having mako-treated silicate-based cells couldn't turn off migraines.

"OUR ACCOUNTS ARE SUSPENDED!" Arien screamed. "WHICH MEANS NO FUNDS! WE'RE STUCK HERE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING!"

"DeVir, I don't…"

"CLOCK IS TICKING, RUFUS! And I am NOT, I REPEAT, NOT GOING TO LET MY SON DIE BECAUSE SOME IDIOT FROZE OUR ACCOUNTS!"

"Arien, shut up!" reached Rufus' ears. Reno's voice, agitated, but he was still keeping his cool, probably trying to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, Arien seemed hell-bent on upping his migraine scale. And no wonder. The time limit was fifteen days, and sand was pouring down to the bottom of the clock. She was a mother, if not a good one; she was freaking out, afraid that she would lose Vince. She knew that it was one in trillion chance that she had conceived, a large chance that she would never be able to do it again.

"DeVir, you're tailed by the police."

That shut up the yell.

"Why?"

"Because Reno killed one of the police dignitaries. They froze your accounts."

"Then release it."

"I already have the intelligence working on it."

There was a shuffle, then Reno's voice was transmitted through the network. "How long would it take, Rufus? We don't have much time, and cash usually makes people talk."

"Three days minimum," came back the reply. "Five days maximum."

"Not fast enough. Tell the lackeys to hurry the fuck up."

"They're already undermanned, Reno. The entire house is working full-power to track Vincent down."

"Look, we need Valentine, and Arie's the only one who can pull the hermit out of his guilt trip. We need to finish planting in Wutai before she can go pull out the vampy." Rufus heard a loud bang and the phone went dead.

Rufus pressed the button on his telephone. "Tseng," he said, "set the Juniors to release Reno and Arien's accounts."

"Rufus…"

"Oh, and get the police off their backs, we don't need them sniffing around." He gave no pause for Tseng to object.

* * *

"What are you reading…?"

Reno looked up from a glossy magazine, feet raised up on the table. "Apparently, Lucy Bijoux' breasts are fake."

"We're pretty much stranded here, and you're reading gossip magazines?"

"We can't do anything else. Oh, she also has cellulites."

She shook her head. They had captured an informant in Wutai, wrung the information – and the living daylights – out of the woman, and learned that the adversaries had found the "chalice". After Reno had systematically fed the woman to the fish, the two had been living in Myer's house, doing absolutely nothing. That set Arien's teeth on the edge. It also let Reno read gossip magazines in a chair by a large window that faced the sea, his logic being, "I can't do damn shit here, so I might as well as relax."

"Reno, seriously. Don't you have anything else better to do?"

"We might be able to have some little fun," said Reno, innocence plastered on his face like a mask. Arien knew better than to fall for_that_ trick; Reno was anything but innocent.

"No." Just as the word got released from her mouth, Reno pulled her hand hard enough that she lost balance and collapsed into him. His lips covered hers; it was moist and warm against hers. He was burning; she felt the heat through the thin material of his linen shirt, and directly, as he had left the shirt unbuttoned and his chest was exposed. Or was it because she was cold, so cold?

"Someone might be watching…"

"Let them watch." He tugged at her brown knit shirt. "I see that _your_ breasts aren't fake."

"No one would have fake breasts this small."

"Yeah, but I still like them anyway."

"Get off."

"Can't a guy touch his girlfriend?"

"Not without her permission, no." But she reciprocated the kiss… then simply stood up, grimacing.

"What's up?"

"I hate it when my phone vibrates in my pocket," she said, fishing it out.

"I kinda like it. Sends me the shivers."

"Sicko." She flipped the phone open. "DeVir." She paused. "Yes, yes sir… I understand sir… of course, sir. Thank you very much."

"What did Rufus say?"

Her grin was just as sly as his own. "Our accounts are thawed. Let's go."

And so they found themselves flying out of Wutai, this time in full Turks gear, ready to go and ready to fight. Time was ticking, slowly out of their grasps, and if needed neither of them was too squeamish about killing a few people.

"I have a distinct feeling I'm losing ethical morals," Arien said quietly as she clicked the cartridges into her pistol. The two were in the bathroom on the Flight 40, back to The Edge. Reno was checking his EMR.

"Yeah, well cry me a river."

"I also think half the plane is thinking that we're having sex in the bathroom."

"Yeah, well, let them. Unless you want to actually do that." He paused, mischievous look in his face. "I've never fucked in a plane toilet before."

"Yes, well, that'd have to be with some other female." She holstered her weapons into their places.

"Is Tseng coming?"

"Yup." Click. The blue light flared. Click. "We have the Chalice, The Priest, er…no clue about the receptacle, the knife. Anything else. Elena and Rude have found some weird shit going on in one of the caves, so it gotta be that one. I think that's it."

"The receptacle."

"Yeah, well tell me when you find it." He hugged her suddenly.

"What was that for?"

This time, he did not smile, but just mouthed the words: "10 more days."

* * *

It took three days to get back to The Edge, "grab the crew" as Reno had put it, then fly out to the North. From there, it was skiing, because the weather was still precarious and as Reno had put it, "we'd never get there anyway". Reno ignored the death glares from the three Turks and his boss. After living with Arien for however long he had lived with, you kind of learned to ignore death glares. Arien was very good at it too.

Dressed in suits that Arien termed as "Neon spandex speed demon suits", goggles in place, the five started the cross-country skiing, each wondering – except Reno, of course – if any of them would make it. Turk stamina? Bull shit.

They skied for over six hours – Tseng seriously thought about making Reno clean the toilets after they returned, but he knew Reno would devise a new method to cause havoc anyway – and after much cursing, swearing, devouring of energy bars, drinking power drinks and falling down, they reached a cave where Elena and Rude had found.

It was dark.

Reno sent a death glare to Elena, since sending one to Rude was sort of pointless. Elena shrugged. Arien, obviously frustrated, decided to go in.

A clatter was heard as the female sniper dropped her skis onto the icy ground, crunches as she stepped into the snow and into the cave.

They followed.


	22. 21: Arien's Trial

Right.Erm, I was kinda busy this past week catching up on work (or trying to), doing stuff. So a little delayed response here. Also, slightly shorter chapter, since I came up with a brilliantly stupid idea of trying out a new writing style and forcing it down your throat. Feedback welcome, including "OMFG IT SUCKED". Yeah.

G.P. Larue - Some sexual tension here. Time for Arien to get challenged. Hopefully you'll like it... I kinda didn't know what I was doing since I tried out this new writing style to give some sense of jerky scene changes, but alas, pictures are worth thousand words, and motion pictures are worth... 100000. Not a JOKE. An average novel is about 100 thousand words (according to my AP language and comp teacher from last year), and they squish that into... 2 hours? So kinda hard here.

Moonshine's Guide - the KNIFE is not a Masamune. I didn't even think of it. In hindsight, that would have made my life so much easier. Unfortunately, Sephiroth was far from my mind when I vaguely outlined the story. I was also wandering around Oxford Street while feeling poor and dejected and slightly drunk, so that may contribute to GODAWFUL storyline. Oh well. Not my fault. Blame it on 10 Freddy Krugers (and for those of you who don't know what that is, go to Wikipedia... hint hint)

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - Michele will be make a slight cameo appearance in the end and that should make her extremely happy, so happy that she won;t care she isn't playing a crucial role in this story. Nothing else would be said about the said topic at the moement, since I'm trying to figure out how to procrastinate and do work at once. Did I also tell you I hate biology and I'm going to be doing it for the next three years in med school? SHIIIT.

* * *

Chapter 21: Arien's Trial

_Blood…_

_Reno's mouth, painted crimson, glistening in the eerie blue light…_

_Vince… on the floor…_

_Tseng yelling…_

_Elena's screams…_

_Sharp pain in the chest…_

_Reno's smile…_

Arien woke up, saw Elena's face lined with concern. Reno was getting woken up by Rude; Tseng was keeping watch. It was cold; she looked at the watch. 3:41AM.

"What?"

"You were having nightmares," Elena said softly. "So was Reno."

"Reno?"

Did Reno even dream…? Oh wait, he did. Occasionally. But now?

"Yes. Are you alright?"

She frowned. If Reno was having the same kind of nightmare, she was not going to like it. Although usually she didn't believe in premonition crap, there was still a nagging voice in the back of her head.

Reno looked awful. He was haggard, and his eyes looked hollow. He also looked almost blue. He sat, his shoulders hunched, looking a little ill.

"Reno?"

His eyes showed… what was it? Fear? Trepidation? Just fatigue? She could not tell. What she could tell was that… he was different.

"We need to get moving," Tseng said. It was a logical thing to say too, but at that moment, Arien hated him for it.

She also feared. But what, she did not know.

* * *

"What did Vampy say?"

"He finally agreed. After much coaxing and arguing."

It was not till the end that Vincent Valentine had agreed to come to the North to help them out. It was his fucking godson in trouble, wasn't it? He might have been more cooperative. But Vincent Valentine lived by his own rules and listened to no one. He made sure that the entire squad knew that before he decided to tag along.

"Do we really need him, Arie?"

"Do you know anyone else who has or had claws as his hand? Because I don't."

That shut him up.

"How is he going to get here?"

"No clue. But I'm sure he's not going to ski. He told me 'not to worry'."

"That kinda worries me."

"Yes, well you can be the one to talk to him then."

The conversation ended there.

* * *

Vincent came three hours later; how he got there so fast was anyone's guess. Nobody said anything; nothing needed to be verbalized. They just acknowledged each other, then moved on forward.

Something was stirring, a slight current in the air, a slight difference in the echoes. Everybody noticed it.

They all kept their mouth shut.

Their footsteps echoed throughout the cave, soft as they were. They remained silent. They marched through the tunnels, weapons at the ready, alert more than ever. Fear, anticipation, anxiety were in the Turks' eyes.

Suddenly they stepped out into a large area. The glacial walls flashed and dazzled the Turks with their blue glow; a large chasm opened in front of them, and beyond that, darkness.

"Wow," said Reno.

They stared into the dark chasm, speechless. Their minds were not even concerned with the fact that they would need to find a way to get through the chasm. They were dazzled by the vastness, the beauty of the area, natural sculpture, a glacial palace carved with years of wind . They stood there, dumbfounded.

And then, Arien saw: a man in rich brocade, the clothes too old to be from this age. Dressed in deep blue with swirling patterns painted in silver threads on the sleeves that belled out as it reached the wrists. The golden leaves twined around the silver.

_The eyes. Look away from the eyes. _But Arien could not. She had never seen a face like that before. Or eyes like those. It wasn't the color, or the shape, but… intensity of the gaze.

Arien had known many men's faces, most of them shaped fairly well. She had seen Sephiroth's face, knew that hers resembled his; knew Cloud Strife's face, Rufus Shinra's face, Yazoo's face, Tseng's face, Reno's face, Vincent Valentine's face, even Rude's face without sunglasses. All had their beauties, their charms, giving a certain air to the bearer. Sephiroth, his face the epitome of nobilis personae; Cloud, with his clear eyes that were honest and open; Rufus' knowing, arrogant smile; Yazoo's expressionless mask that almost looked like a chiseled sculpture, perfect in its contour; Tseng's stern face, intelligent and determined; Reno's cat-like eyes, with his mischievous grin; Vincent's calm gaze, distant and focused; Rude's silent confidence behind his expression. Yes, she knew the faces well, faces which hid and spoke of their distinct pasts. Faces that were perfection in each distinctive way.

But each perfection so far had flaws that fit seamlessly into the perfection. Sephiroth's eyes were proofs of just how much he was insane. Cloud was insecure, and it showed. Rufus was too calculating. Yazoo knew too much joy in simply destroying; Tseng was rigid in rules and unable to yield when necessary, or, as Reno had termed it, "had not just a stick but an entire forest up his ass". Reno's mischievousness was certainly a charm, but it often turned unpredictable and erratic, labeling him as a trigger-happy maniac who had no problem going postal and killing innocent pedestrians. Vincent was too emotionless, and Rude was often too silent. Each characterization had lent itself to the man's charm, but also became the flaw that made each face inevitably human.

This face had no flaws. This face could not have any flaws because it could not have belonged to a human. Arien had no idea _what_ it was, but she was sure it wasn't a human. It couldn't be. Hair, soft and like finely spun platinum, poured down from the scalp to the back; eyes roughly the color of molten silver, slightly slanted bore into hers. A beautiful face, an aristocratic face. Slender and delicate nose, full and sensuous lips that were just begging to kiss.

Arien vaguely heard Reno shouting, but like a frog stared down by a snake, she could not move. He had to be an illusion, but what woman would not be ensnared by such perfection?

Arien took a step forward, felt nothing beneath her left foot, but did not care. He was there, and like metal to a magnet, she felt drawn to him, she must go to him, that was her destiny…

She heard Reno scream, his desperate call for her sanity, his voice full of agony as he called her name repeatedly. A small part of her consciousness stirred, grew into another entity, pulled at her mind. The illusion pulled her mind the other way, and she felt the two minds battle, pulling at opposite directions until she wondered if she was insane, or if she would break in two. She did not care. Nothing mattered. Her body was afire, the blood ice-cold, her hair was standing, her breathing ragged, her hands clammy and cold.

"Arien!" Arien saw a flash of red, clear aquamarine eyes, felt its intensity burn into hers. The slightly high-pitched voice, a man's voice, calling her name again and again, as if her name was an anchor to something… an anchor to what?

_Come to me,_ the perfection before her eyes beckoned. She leaned forward, felt a strong hand grasp hers, and pull her back.

Her mind no longer knew him, but her body did; her body was honest, and responded to the touch of one man it knew. This man had trespassed the body, owned it, knew every inch of it. The body knew the temperature, the touch, and responded obediently.

Images flashed before her eyes, Reno smiling, Reno in anger, Reno concentrating, Reno sleeping. His mouth as he called her name, his hands in her hair. Every single cell responded to him, and she finally understood what it meant to be a man's slave. A willing slave was she, willing to respond to his beck and call, each part of her body dominated. And she was happily dominates as well. She was his, completely, without question; even in such throe his touch would awaken her, just because he was the only man in the world who had trespassed her body in such way.

The vision wavered, then shattered.

Arien shrieked in horror as she saw herself teetering at the edge, the chasm opening below her to swallow her into its darkness. She felt Reno yank her back, catch her in his arms. She felt tears running down her face, arms around her shoulders, and could do nothing but tremble, desperately trying to take comfort in the warm confines of his body, his smell, his warmth. She knew how close she was to destruction, not only hers but also his, for he would not be able to save the child, a gift and a reminder from her to him. With her gone, he would not be able to reclaim the child; he would save Vince, yes, because that was the order, but she did not doubt that Reno would cast him out, disown him. He followed his instincts, and his instinct would be that the child would be the constant reminder of her.

Vince did not deserve that fate.

She faced him, crumbled onto the icy floor. He followed, his arms still around her. She buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in his smell. She was still trembling, tears were finally halting its flow; her hands were cold.

"You okay?" he asked into her hair. He tightened his arms around her, and she finally stopped trembling.

"I… I think so." She knew that time was running out. They had to get going.

"Wanna tell me what you saw?"

Arien shook her head. "Not now."

Reno did not protest, but instead grasped her hand. His hand was warm, living. She looked at his face, more human than ever and even more pleasing to the eye because of its imperfections. "Come on," he said. "We should go." He pulled her into a run, her hand in his, pulling her and guiding her.

* * *

They marched on after Tseng had found a little lock that was hidden in one of the walls. Again, they fell into silence that was just about as oppressive as the walls around them.

They reached a fork, showing no indication in which way to go. The five Turks and one former Turk looked at each other.

"There's three forks."

Tseng thought for a moment. "Arien and Reno, take left. Elena and I'll go down the middle. Vincent, if you'd please go with Rude down the right. Report back here if you don't find anything within two hours."

They separated, again in silence.

* * *

The entry hall was a glacial palace completely made of every hue between blue, green, and white, and nothing else. The intricate beauty carved into every inch of the walls sparkled in the stark white light that had no source; the floors were crystal clear, every hue of blue and green. The ceiling was somewhere, but it was so tall that it disappeared into the darkness, never to be discerned by a mortal. Here Arien and Reno entered.

"Hello, Jack," Arien said quietly to the man on the floor. His feet and his hands were bound, rendering him immobile. His face was streaked with tears and snot, and his suit was dirty and disheveled, torn in couple of places. He was the very picture of misery and hopelessness; that disgusted Arien.

"E…" He drew his breath. "Esile?"

"She's home," the woman replied; her tone was close to being gentle, but her eyes were cold. "She is an Invalid class A. I hope you know what that means."

He did, and he let out a wail. Class A indicated that the patient had no mental functions and was pretty much a newborn with an adult body.

"M… my children? Erna and Jen…?"

"Jen McKinnon, age three, and Erna McKinnon, age five, are still in your custody."

"They're at your house," Reno clarified with a mock-sincere smile on his face. "Well, they were, twenty days ago, when we last checked. Dunno, since your baby wife is the only one in the house, they might have ran away for candy or something."

"And now," Arien said as she leveled her pistol at his eyes, "I think it's time for you to go. Bye bye, Jack."

'Wait!" He howled, tears streaming down his face. "Arien! You can't do this! You can't!"

"Oh, and says who?"

"Arien! I have children! Just like you! Don't you understand? Their mother's not there anymore!" Jack was frantic. "Arien! Imagine if my children were yours! They could have been, Arien!"

"Well, they aren't, and Vince isn't your pathetic little brats," Arien retorted. "Too bad they had such a dumb father. And stop calling my name. I'm starting to feel defiled."

Jack decided to use the last resort. "Arien…" he pleaded, choked with tears. "Please… once before you were devoted to me… I don't deserve this by your hands… Arien…"

Arien now looked disgusted; Jack knew then what it meant to be faced by a Turk on an order to kill. They stopped at nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing except the objective. The old Arien, the tempestuous, loyal, clever Arien was gone, replaced by a cold killer, hell-bent on murdering him, on shooting his face; her eyes told him that she wanted to kill him, wanted to see his face get squashed like a ripe tomato, blood splattering everywhere. She wanted it.

"Arien…" Gasp. "Please… I don't deserve this…"

Arien leveled her gun between his eyes. "All you deserve," she said in a sick tone, "is this bullet."

Then she pulled the trigger.


	23. 22: Family Reunion

Er, so, I lied, and updated this a week after the promised date. Oops...

G.P. Larue - med school sucks, but I'm already in so much debt that the only way to get out of it would be to become a doctor. So I'm kind of screwed. I was seriously thinking about running away and joining the circus, but then realized that I have no talent for the circus venues whatsoever.

Echo the Ethereal - Yes, yes, I'm alive. And unfortunately, so are the bad guys. Jack is quite dead, though. Horray! I met the dude that I based the idiot off from during Christmas break, and I have reached the conclusion that I was right in killing Jack McKinnon off. Bye Jack!

ItaFearMe - Thanks for loving my story! This story's a little unstructured since I don't have the canon FFVII storylines to fall on, and I basically have to create everything by myself. And then there was the intrusion of Crisis Core, which kind of put off my writing. By the way, Reno rocks, (inserts random fandom)

Moonshine's Guide - Thanks for the "don't walk around drunk" advice. I now understand how magnificent Reno is, managing not to get drunk. I mean, really. I also liked your little rhyme. Unfortunately, The Turks aren't really moral so the kids did get screwed over... I guess that just says _Don't mess around with the Turks_.

Anyway, Climax PART ONE!

* * *

Chapter 22: Family Reunion

Reno kicked the dead body with the toe of his left shoe. Then he turned and said, "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Why on earth not?" Her silver earrings looked eerie in the silvery greenish light that reflected off the icy walls.

"Well, ya know…"

"Oh, that." She shrugged. "I'm not particularly interested in him at the moment. It was a girlish infatuation."

"And me?"

"You're a nuisance that for some reason I'm stuck with," she said carelessly, reholstering her firearm. She scooped a strand of hair away from her eyes. "Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"We should go."

"Oh yeah."

The trek was long and tiring, partly because their shoes kept slipping on the ice. Since they had no idea exactly what would happen at the next corner, they had to go slowly, with firm steps. This took more energy than it seemed; by the end of the fourth turn Arien's thigh muscles were beginning to feel pain. Reno had a casual step as always, but his gait was slightly slower.

It was the seventh turn when Reno slipped. He slipped, and then the next moment he felt his legs swimming in the air. He looked down, and nearly screamed as he realized that he had slipped down and his feet was swimming over nothing but air. The crack was not wide but wide enough to swallow a careless person.

Arien's hands shot out, and she grabbed his hand. She felt her feet slipping.

"Hurry up!"

"I'm trying, damn it!"

"Yes, well don't take me along!"

Reno scrambled frantically, and his hands finally found a hold over the jutting piece of ice. Hauling himself to safety, he sat down and sighed. "That," he said, "is not something I'm gonna repeat anytime soon."

Arien's response was markedly more realistic. "I wish we had a rope."

They did not have a rope, and therefore Reno, with faster reflexes, jumped over the chasm first. With a slight run he leaped, landed safely. He held out his arms as Arien leaped; she fell right into him, knocking both of them over.

"Arie?"

"Yes?"

"Can you get off?"

"Oh." She was on all fours, Reno dusting off his jacket, when she felt it through her hands.

"Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Something's coming."

Reno felt the ground. "I don't feel anything… I hear something, though."

They looked at each other.

"It can't be good," was Reno's observation.

"Well said, Captain Obvious!"

"Well, we ain't gonna fight this at the edge of this cliff. That's a sure way to die."

"Have any better ideas, Sergeant?"

"Don't call me that." Reno frowned. "We're gonna run."

"Run where?!"

"Towards the noise! Let's go!"

Arien was given no time to reject this ridiculous idea, since Reno grabbed her hand and began to run. In but a few minutes they discovered the source of the noise.

It was a huge, slimy serpent. Arien shivered and held her mouth when she saw it. She hated snakes, and she also hated slimy things like slugs and lampreys. Both combined was enough to send her into hell. It was a vivid amethyst, with emerald green and canary yellow spots. The vivid colouring did nothing to make her feel better; in fact, it made her feel worse. To fight this disgusting thing was going to be tricky.

"Arie? You look blue."

"I don't like snakes," she mumbled.

"What!? I thought you passed the exams!"

"The exam didn't produce this big of a snake!" Arien snapped. "Nor this vivid!"

"So if it was baby shit tan you'd be okay?"

Arien did not get to answer, since it charged straight at her. Her scream was piercing as she jumped a few feet back, pulling out her guns all at once and shooting as she screamed.

Reno stood, mouth open. In a few moments the head of the serpent was a mess with silver blood dripping.

"You really don't like snakes."

Arien glared at him.

* * *

He looked at the child. The child's semblance to his parents was so profound, so remarkable, that it was obvious who the parents were. Slanted vivid eyes, small nose, high cheekbones, thin mouth. The hair colour was a non-distinctive shade of very dark brown, but his eyes were startling.

_Almost like jewels, _he thought.

Renaldo Miller and Arien DeVir were the child's parents, the child born out of a miracle, the child with mako flowing in his veins since birth. Yet another face looked out at him from the child's visage. Those eyes, the fine structure of the face.

Sephiroth.

He remembered his rival, the general who changed history and very nearly destroyed the world. He was perfection, but perfection was a fragile balance that did not last long; knowing his origin Sephiroth had gone insane.

But why did the child look like him?

He knew for a fact that it was not from Reno's side. Reno's parents were ordinary people; Reno himself was raised in Midgar under the plates. His blood was as ordinary as it could be.

DeVir?

He had no idea who her mother was; her father was Myers DeVir, who was notorious in the department for being quite efficient and trustworthy in his work. But Myers was a Wutaian, and had no semblance to Hojo. For all he knew, Hojo was not a human but in fact an alien from outer space.

No matter. The blood should do well to receive him.

He smiled.

* * *

"Arien!"

Arien suddenly broke out in a run. She was quickly tiring due to the precarious floor, and it was unlikely of her to suddenly burst out into a run. But then she might have seen something that he had not.

The tunnel was plunged into a darkness, and Arien was now leading him, hand in hand. Her slender digits curled around his, and she led him without hesitation, as if she saw everything in broad daylight. But then it might as well as have been broad daylight for her; no darkness was truly darkness for her except when she slept. Of course, she usually toned her nightvision down because it gave her severe headaches after use, but if she wished she could see with only a faint glimmer of light.

"Wait!"

She did not stop. Reno followed, hazardously, carefully, listening to the echoes of her footsteps and his own. He did not have Arien's excellent vision; instead he had received the gift of hearing. The only problem was that if some large noise occurred while that enhanced hearing was in use, he might be deaf for the next few days. Therefore he rarely used it.

But Arien's hand was gone, and he needed a guide. There was no guide.

He ran for a few minutes, desperately listening to Arien's light footsteps, and nearly crashed into her as she suddenly halted. He was about to have a word with her, then looked, and then decided against it.

It was a huge cavern, the ceiling so high that it disappeared into the darkness. An unearthly light came from an unknown source, reflecting off the icy walls in eerie hues of cold blue and emerald green. No wind blew.

Her eyes were fixed downwards. He followed her sight, and saw that approximately five yards from where they stood at the mouth of the tunnel, the icy floor suddenly disappeared into a deep chasm. There was no end to the chasm, as far as Reno could see; the floor they were standing on thinned into a crescent shape.

In the middle of the chasm was a piece of ground that stood like a pedastal, approximately five feet wide. On the pedastal sat…

Their son.

Their son looked no different from the last time they saw him; the brown hair was slightly longer, clothes slightly tattered, but otherwise the child seemed unharmed. Except, of course, for the wide-eyed fear that mimicked his mother's.

Reno grasped her hand, squeezed it hard.

It seemed to Reno that suddenly Tseng and Elena appeared out of nowhere beside them, breatheless and quiet.

And then suddenly fire filled the deep chasm, making the shadows dance off the walls in a demonic dance, making the entire cavern glow in a sickening mix of pale teal and orange.

"So, the last player is here."

The four Turks turned as if they were synchronized toward the speaker. It was a young man, barely into his thirties, dressed in a robe of deep purple. He held a skeltal hand that was somehow held together with nothing visible.

"Last player?" Elena echoed.

"Yes. The receptacle and the chalice." The man smiled. His smile was thin, and he had a jagged scar across his cheek. He was pale, his nose squat. His eyes were green. His hair was curly and red; he seemed robust, but stood only around Elena's height. "And the blood, of course."

"What…"

"The family must be reunited before the ceremony begins," he said. Then, suddenly, he pointed at the raven-haired woman who was staring at her son.

"The blood."

He then pointed at the small child. "The chalice."

Then to the redhead, who looked utterly confused. "And the receptacle."

"What the hell is going on!?" Reno shouted. The man smiled thinly again; they saw that he had no teeth.

"A new god is going to be born," he toned. "A new god of the world. Born out of the blood of the rival who once sought the same, and failed."

"What?!"

"Seize her!"

Everything happened so fast that only Reno responded in time. But by the time he took out the swarming priests, Arien was already in the arms encased with the purple robe.

"Arien!"

She did not respond, but instead, her eyes were fixed on the man's face. The man dragged her and disappeared into the tunnel behind him.

Reno tried to follow. But when he began to move, the tunnel entrance simply disappeared.

* * *

She found herself naked and alone in the dark chamber. The room was bare apart from a vat of pale pink oil and a white gown that was folded, on a chair.

She stood still as hands that was attached to no body came out of nowhere, scooped a handful of oil, and began to rub it on her. On her face, her shoulders, her back. Her legs. It smelled of stale roses.

She stood still as the gown of almost translucent white encased her body.

She stood still as the man with green eyes came over and whispered in her ear, "it is time."

She stood still, as the man turned, expecting for her to follow. He beckoned for her to come.

She obeyed.

* * *

Reno was about to hit the wall with his fully charged EMR when Arien reappeared. She had changed, and her eyes had a glazed look. He scowled as he saw her; her translucent gown gave a faint silhouette of everything underneath, and since she was apparently naked underneath, left much of her body to the male species' imagination. All priests' eyes followed her avidly, and Reno did not wonder; he had not seen a woman around among the priesthood, and guessed that they led celibate lives. With just enough to clue what was under, the sight was tortuously tantalizing.The head priest gently grasped her arm. A priest brought a silver knife on a blue velvet pillow, which the head priest picked up. 

He grasped her wrist and slashed it.

Blood gushed, but it was caught in a basin below. It poured, trickling, in a steady pour down her middle finger. The priest did not let her go.

"Stop it, you sick fuck!" Reno screamed, but nothing happened.

Suddenly the priest let her go. She remained standing, but she was swaying. The priest turned around, picked up the basin.

Carrying the basin, he floated across the fiery chasm, and landed softly with a pat next to Vincent.

"Drink."

Reno's mouth felt sour, but Vincent drank his mother's blood obediently, without question. After he had drained the basin, the priest picked up the child, and carried him over to the redhead, who was looking utterly disgusted.

"Kill him."

Reno saw a white figure crumple to the floor from the corner of his eyes. Vincent's eyes were glazed over, just like his mother's.

"What?! Vince is the recep…"

"He is the chalice," the priest said quietly. "You, Renaldo Miller, are the receptacle. Now kill him."


	24. 23: Rebuilding

Okay, after a week delay or two, here's the long-awaited results of my exam (oh really, you guys really wanted _that):_

I passed Quantum Mechanics at the top of my class! Yeeey!

Now that being bragged about (sorry, very short responses today, I'm knackered):

Moonshine's Guide - We'll see if Reno's castrated or not. And whether Vince will die or not.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmast... - Calm down!

Mister Bigbucks - Lol, thanks!

G.P. Larue - Sorry?

Anyway, Here it is:

* * *

Chapter 22: Rebuilding

"WHAT?"

"You heard me," said the priest with a calm voice. "Now do it."

Arien did not move. Neither did the redhead.

Nothing moved.

"Come," said the priest impatiently, "time is wasting."

Nothing moved.

Then Reno moved. He walked over to the priest, his face devoid of expression, his eyes cold as ice. He turned on his EMR in his hand.

"So I'm the child of miracle, huh?" he said quietly.

The priest nodded.

"Well, guess there's no miracle for you guys," he said calmly.

He then raised his arm, and with a blow took the priest's head.

* * *

Time snapped into motion, and things began to move.

"Reno! Go!" Tseng was yelling. "Grab them and go!"

Reno did not say anything. Carrying the comatose body of a woman and the body of the child in each arm, he sprinted, and disappeared into the darkness.

When Tseng and Elena came out into the sunlight, there was Reno sitting on the ground by the woman and the child.

* * *

"Arien?"

Reno shook his head. "She lost too much blood. She's still unconscious."

"We'll have to transfuse blood from her son in the chopper," Tseng said as he pulled out his phone.

* * *

"I. Am. So. Fucking. Tired." Reno crashed onto the sofa after throwing his mud-stained jacket and his shirt onto the coffee table, ignoring Arien's frowns. Arien took the liberty to change into a white tank top and loose white pajama pants after ripping off the bloody gown. She sprawled onto the floor, inspected her hands. "Same here."

"Vince?"

"Asleep."

Vincent Miller had fallen asleep in his mother's arms on the way back home, and neither parent was surprised about it; the child must have had a terrifying month in his own way. Arien did not know how to apologize to the child; how do you tell your son that the reason he was separated from the parents and spent being shuffled everywhere was because of what his parents did for their jobs, their connections? She hoped that Reno had an answer, or at least the nerve to give the wrong answer.

"You know," Arien said vaguely, "I might resign."

Reno raised his head from the sofa to look at the Wutaian. "You can't_quit_ the Turks! You'll be on 24/7 surveillance, constant suspect."

Arien shrugged. "I'm on 24/7 surveillance anyway, living with you. It's just that…" she paused for a moment. "I feel like this entire thing was my fault because I was too busy, you know? If I had been more attentive…"

"I'm your boss, baby. And I'm not permitting that."

Arien sighed. "We'll talk about that later…"

The window right above the sofa crashed, showering Reno with glass. Instinctively he covered his head with his arms and rolled onto Arien, who groaned as his full weight came crashing down. Reno knocked over the coffee table as he got up, then hastily ducked onto the floor, seeing a small cylinder with smoke coming out of it.

With a panicked look on his face, Reno pointed toward the bedroom. Arien rolled and stood up, sprinting toward the dark corridor. Seconds later that seemed like an eternity, she came back, sleeping infant in her arms shrouded in a thick blanket. Just then, a larger cylinder followed with a blue read-out timer. It said 25:43.

"Oh, come on." Reno groaned. He turned to Arien, who looked back with a bewildered look. He motioned toward the back door. Arien made a cutting motion across her neck with her hand, then pointed at the front. Reno shook his head, then yanked her arm and made her stand up. Her silhouette showed up, and a few bullets came soaring past. Arien ducked, then ran through the kitchen, Reno behind her, grabbing weapons within hand's reach as he went. They dashed to the garage, where Arien threw in her son in the back seat of Reno's car. Reno slid into the front seat, and was starting the engine as Arien closed the door and opened the garage entrance.

"Stay down!" Arien shouted as she saw Vince raise his head. Hearing the tension in his mother's voice, the boy stayed down as Reno backed out of the garage haphazardly, knocking a pair of garden shears over. The car crashed into a man who was standing there with a machine gun in his hands.

"Stop the car."

"Are you kidding?" He asked incredulously.

"Stop the car!"

Reno slammed on the brakes and the car screeched to a halt. Arien flung the door open, and grabbed his machine gun, the spare clips, two pistols, and a few throwing knives, then promptly shot the man in the face. She slid back into the seat, slammed the door. "Go!"

They were just pulling out of the driveway as the house exploded. Arien did not say anything, but Reno sighed as they saw the house burst into flames, raining the area with large lumber pieces, splinters, and glass.

"I guess we're back to square one," Arien sighed as well.

"We might as well as live in a trailer park, this is getting fucking dumb."

"No." Arien paused. Then, "Where are we going?"

"Well…" Reno pressed on a button on the cell phone docked in front of the vent. "Hello?" said a female voice. He told the phone that they were coming to stay over, then pressed "end".

"I guess Elena's?"

With a screech, the convertible drove away, five cars following. Reno looked in the side mirror as he drove down the expressway. "Baby, we ain't alone."

"I know." He heard the click as Arien loaded an uzi. "Don't tip the car over."

"Huh?"

Arien rolled down the window, and leaned out, pulling the trigger. Reno swerved as he dodged a car in front. Arien smashed her forehead on the window frame as she tried to sit back down. "Ow! Reno!"

"Get rid of 'em and I won't have to do this!"

The reply was a sharp rapping noise as Arien leaned out again and pulled the trigger. The front window of the leading car shattered. Arien instinctively ducked as the bullets were issued from the front and the second car and ricocheted off the roof. Reno laughed.

"Shut up." She stuck her upper body out again. "Why is your car bulletproof?"

"I made it that way."

"Huh." She nodded as she aimed. "Good thinking." She pulled the trigger again.

"Arie?"

"Yes? I'm a little busy."

"Open the glove compartment." Arien reached over, hand grasping for the handle. Reno opened it for her, and she reached in. Brought out what was in the compartment.

Hand grenade.

"There's three in there. Toss it in the car."

"Slow down, then."

Reno obliged, and Arien's head popped out from the window, followed by a hand grenade the traveled through the broken front window into the seat of the front car. Another followed into the second car, then another into the third.

"Go! Go go go!"

Reno accelerated; Arien's body lurched forward with the momentum. She closed the window, then picked up the phone. Reno sneaked a look as she dialled. They saw fire explode in the back, and the stalker cars flipping over with crashes, spewing out car parts everywhere. The highway was plunged into mass confusion, with horns blaring and fire blazing.

"Who…?"

Arien's gestures told him to shut up. "Hello, Rufus?"

"What is it, DeVir?" replied the calm voice.

"Can Reno and I take off for a few days?"

"Hmm." Silence. "Alright, but why?"

Reno saw Arien's mouth curve into a mirthless grin. "Our house got trashed again."

"Who?"

"I don't know, sir. Let me get back to you on that." She hung up the phone while Rufus' voice was still echoing out. She looked at the uzi she took from the man back at the garage, turned it over, looked at the bottom of the barrel. She squinted as she read the letters engraved on a small metal plaque.

"J.U.N.O.N. Unit 391." Said the plaque. She picked up the phone again. "Sir?"

"DeVir, I trust your sudden disconnection was not on purpose." Rufus sounded annoyed, and rightly so; not many people had the nerve to hang up on Rufus Shinra. But then, Arien was not in a norma situation. She was sitting in a car that was going down the highway at 120 miles per hour, driven by a half-naked male that was snaking in between the cars. Their house was nothing but ash and fragments of wood. This wasn't normal at all, even on Turks' norm.

"No sir," Arien lied as Reno coughed, masking his laughter. Arien glared at him. "I think I know who did it, sir."

"And who is it?"

"Someone who has the power to order Junon military unit 391." She stopped, giving Rufus the time to figure it out. "Your fiancée's brother, sir."

* * *

Elena was already waiting when Reno pressed the button by the front entrance. The door buzzed; Arien flung it open, then took the stairs instead of the elevator. Reno scowled at the thought of carrying Vince _and_ climbing the stairs, but followed wordlessly.

Elena opened the door before she even rang the doorbell. As the three piled in, she hastily shut the door behind them. "Just set him on the sofa, I guess," she said apologetically. "Sorry. I don't really have an extra bedroom…"

"Where does Tseng stay then?" Reno asked tactlessly. Arien stepped on his foot; just then, Vince opened his eyes.

"Hi, Aunt Elena," he said drowsily.

"Hey Vince. How are you?"

"I'm… okay… I guess…" His eyes closed again. Reno set him on the sofa, then pulled up a blanket that Elena had readied over him. Vince fell asleep right away. Reno sat on the floor, looking exhausted.

"Ya know," he said to no one in particular, "I was kinda hoping for a good night's sleep in my own bed."

Elena looked down at the redhead. "I'm guessing you two didn't really get to rest?"

"Well, we just lay down in the living room." He yawned. "Didn't really get to do that a lot before we had to run like hell."

"Who was after you?" Elena asked, but the question was never answered, as the landline trilled its shrill interruption before either of them could answer. Elena ran to the phone, and picked up. Reno listened in; Arien had fallen asleep, leaning onto Reno's shoulder.

"Yes sir… yes, affirmative, sir." Elena was nodding as she said yes, and Reno found that funny. "Yes, they're here. Vincent Miller as well. I understand." She nodded again. "Perfectly understood, sir."

After Elena finished talking, Elena opened her mouth but Reno shushed her. "She's asleep," he whispered, meaning the woman who was smiling as she slept. Elena smiled.

"I didn't expect you to care about her so much, Reno."

If Reno's body was free, he would have shrugged. But since his shoulder was occupied, his expression told the same thing instead. "Neither did I," he admitted honestly. "But she's the only woman who could have my kid, and well… that means something." Yes, she was more than just any old girl from the Shinra tower for him: lover, partner, mother of his spawn. Arien. Her game face was so cold, so heartless, yet when she was out of the uniform… different story.

"Anyway, what was the call about? Lemme guess, Rufus, right?"

"Yes." Elena sat down, facing him. "He wants Clarissa's brother executed."

"And why the hell did he call you?"

"Well, he thinks that you need a little time to readjust. So he's sending me."

"What!"

"Mmnnnn…" Arien moved. As he ran his fingers on her cheek, she nuzzled his neck and started sleeping again. Her small breaths tickled his skin; he twirled a strand of raven hair in his fingers, feeling the silky texture.

"Don't wake her up," Elena admonished with humor.

"Why the hell does it have to be you?"

"Because you've been working the longest and the hardest, Reno," Elena said gently. "You deserve some time off."

* * *

On February 23rd of the same year, ten days after Renaldo Miller's return to The Edge, Amedeo Lucienza of the Intelligence Service was systematically tortured and then executed in secret by the Turk leader and his subordinates. His partner, the Commander of Informational Tactics, did not attend the scene.

On the same day, the construction for a new house on the site where the Miller residence had been annihilated began. The new house was to have three more rooms than the previous version, with expanded plot of land for a garden.

On February 24th, Arien DeVir, Vincent Renaldo Miller, and Renaldo Miller moved into a temporary residence in The Edge complex. Arien found the property fully furnished, and leased it for three months.

On February 25th, Renaldo Miller was persuaded to take the next step.

* * *

Reno did not like what he was hearing. He didn't like it at all. "No freakin' way!"

Zen Fletcher was sitting in the Turk leader's office, not on business – although he did have a desk few floors below – but for something much more personal. An advice, he had said. Reno was wondering what the hell he meant by "advice". This wasn't an advice; this was just really a bad idea, a foolish idea.

"No freakin' way."

The said topic was not something drastic and life-threatening, as Elena had surmised. It was about marriage. Zen had casually asked for an appointment. Reno, thinking that it was probably "Intelligence business", said yes. And now here they were, Reno standing behind a desk – more like a mess of unfinished paperwork, bits of food, CD-ROMs, disks, and scraps of paper – and Zen calmly sitting in the only chair that Reno had not tampered with.

The logic was simple enough. Vince had much more legal security with the parents married, and besides, didn't Arien want to marry? It was the right time, and as a normal person it would be more ordinary to get married. It would put up a good façade. E.t.c. E.t.c.

"She's never told me," Reno retorted. "And I think she'd have told be my now. Now GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Vince needing legal security was just a load of crap; Rufus had an army of lawyers, and if Vince ever needed to get out of a scruple like that, Rufus would just order one of the lawyers to prove Vince innocent. Hell, the President had done it enough times for Reno himself. Occasions happened in gunfights. Dignitaries didn't necessarily dodge bullets on time, and some important people just had the misfortune to be in the wrong place, namely in his way.

"Can you really imagine Arie as 'Mrs. Miller'?" Reno demanded. "Hell, I can't."

"You're just unsure if she's committed enough to say yes." A secondary-school level taunt, but for Reno, it worked.

"Fine!" he barked. "I'll ask her right now."

"Okay."

"Well, stand up!" Reno ordered. "You're coming along so she can see exactly whose stupid idea this was!" Without a stop Reno stormed out of the office, and barged into the room next door, where Arien was sitting peacefully behind a desk, filling out stacks of paperwork that she had neglected. A phone was under her chin, and she was reading something on the computer screen at the same time. Everyone had similar piles on their desks on this floor, and not one of them seemed to be lessening in amount. She looked up in surprise as she stopped her hand. Vince was sitting in the corner in a large chair, reading a picture book; the safest place, Rufus decided, would be in Arien's office. So here the child was, unaware that he was surrounded by the most dangerous people in the world.

"Arien!"

"Yes sir?"

"This is off the clock, so get out of that sir shit. I need to ask you something."

Arien put the pen down, sat up straight, steepled her hands on the desk, and looked at him straight in the eye. Vince, oblivious to his father's sudden appearance, kept on turning the page, reading the words out loud to himself. "Yes Reno?"

"Marry me."

"What?"

"You ain't deaf, so stop playing deaf. Marry me."

"Do we have to do it now?" Her face was serious and all innocent. "I have work to do, and I'm a little busy, Reno. Do you mind if we do it later?"

Reno threw his hands up in the air, then looked at the blond man. "Told ya."

"Arien."

"Oh hello Zen." She moved her gaze to him. "How may I help you?"

"He… Reno's serious, Arien."

"No I'm not!" came back the reply.

"He is?" She ignored Reno's murderous glare. "Well, I won't mind. But it won't really change anything except my name, now, would it?"

"Is that a yes to his proposal?"

Arien picked up her pen again. "I'm not too crazy about it, but I'm not refusing it either." She began signing her name in neat cursive. "It's up to Reno, really." After signing her name, she picked up another packet of paper, placed the first page on the scanner, and pressed a green button. A beam of light flashed through the glass then moved steadily as it read the paper and transferred the paper image onto the computer. She saved it, opened it up on a word processor, and began typing.

And that signaled the end of the conversation. Zen left right away; Reno ruffled his son's head then returned to his office.

* * *

Reno was just exiting his office when Arien was leading Vince out of hers. "Ready to go home, kiddo?" He asked his son cheerfully.

"Home?"

"Yeah, home." He picked up his son, since Arien was juggling keys, a bag, cell phone, beeper, laptop, and PDA. "Come on. Let's go home and play with the new toy till dinner."

"Yeah!" Vince's face shined. Arien glanced sideways, then burst out laughing.

"What, yo?"

"I didn't really see you as a my-home daddy." She giggled. "I find it amusing."

"Yeah, because I'm supposed to be selfish and indulgent, right?"

Shrug. "I guess?" She pressed the button pointing down. The elevator dinged. "You first," she offered.

"Heh."

The drive home was silent. Arien seemed to be deep in thought, and Vince was not a loud child. When they got home Arien changed then set to making dinner.

It was after Vince was deeply asleep and they were both in bed that Arien spoke a word about it. Reno was flipping through the channels when Arien suddenly asked, "Did you really mean it?"

"Mean what, yo?"

"Never mind." She turned her back toward him.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Arie." He grasped her shoulder and forced her to turn. "You promised that you won't hide anything. Well, don't."

She shook her head, fanning her hair out. Her face was calm, but her eyes showed… sadness? Disappointment? "I just… thought you were serious when you asked me to marry. That's all."

"Did you want to?"

"Nothing would change, would it?" To that, Reno agreed. Nothing would change if they were legally a couple. Nothing. "But… I don't know how to explain it. I can't figure it out myself. But Father… well, I haven't done anything for him, and I know that he'd rather see me married than… just a lover."

"Hm." He thought for a moment, fiddling with the ring that was attached to the chain around his neck. He knew that his own father happened to like Arien DeVir, thinking of her as a sensible, smart girl who just wasn't sensible when it came to… men. But his father did think that Reno was pretty lucky compared to Luca, who was married to a bubblehead of a woman. Of course, no one in his family knew what exactly he did for his job, and Reno didn't really plan for them to find out anytime soon. Or for that matter, ever. He turned and asked, "what if I was serious?"

"Nice joke."

"No, I mean it." He continued to touch the chain. "If it wouldn't change anything except your name, then might make it legal, ya know? Less trouble afterwards."

If Reno was expecting a shout of joy from her, he didn't get it. She didn't say anything for a while, then said, "Just tell me what to do, Chief. I'll take your lead."

Reno laughed at his title. "Okay, yo," he responded. "Just one thing."

"Yes?"

"If we do get married, the marriage contract is gonna include a clause that says no weapons in the bedroom."

Arien laughed as Reno had expected. That silly fight was still fresh in their memories, but it sure had turned out just as destructive. "Okay, fine," she said. "But I'm not saying anything for my fists."

"That, I'm not worried, yo." He winked. "I can take you out anytime."

He received a snort as a reply.


	25. 24: A Crowded Honeymoon

Moonshine's Guide - the story is winding down rapidly. I may do a prequel to C'Est La Vie, but I am also doing a Turks story based in a hospital. So I don't know yet.

Echo The Ethereal - we shall see Michele's fate in this chapter. Hehe.

* * *

Chapter 24: A Crowded Honeymoon

After Reno had thrown the bomb, Arien found herself surrounded by turmoil. Arien never knew what exactly had happened to Clarissa's brother, but from the looks of it Rufus seemed to have dispatched Rude or Elena to swiftly carry out the execution. Nobody messed with the Shinra Company, before and now, and whoever crossed the line got to taste Shinra's own brand of justice. And woe to whoever had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of justice, because Rufus made sure that it was tenfold.

Ivanna, as expected, got very excited and appointed herself the official "wedding planner"; Arien was not planning to have a wedding at all, but rather go to a local office, get the marriage license, get Elena and Tseng to be witnesses, just sign, then run off, now that three months had passed and Vince had finally settled. Vince, apparently, had forgotten that he was separated from his parents, and now that he was back home all he wanted to do was visit Jay, Ivy's son. Arien moped about it, then put her feelings aside.

"But I don't want a full blown-out wedding, Ivy!" Arien whined one fresh Saturday morning as Ivy and she sat at the dining table, talking. Reno had gone out with Rude and Shiv, doing only god knew what.

"Why not? It's a woman's best moment in life!"

Arien disagreed with Ivy's firm belief, but she kept that in her mind. "First of all, Reno does not look good in any formalwear. He looks ridiculous."

"He looks good in the uniform," Ivy countered cheerfully.

"Yes, that's because he always looks disheveled and untidy. Make him wear a proper suit and he looks completely out of himself."

"Okay." Ivy gave up. 'We'll talk about that later. Next reason?"

"I don't like parties. I HATE parties."

"It's not a party. It's a wedding."

"Same thing."

"Still doesn't convince me. What else?"

"Too much hassle. I have better things to do."

"I'm doing the planning, dearie. You're just going to pick."

In the end, Arien's main defense became this: "Mullet doesn't go with anything."

"Then make him cut his hair."

"Are you joking?!" Arien nearly fell out of the dining room chair. "He'll NEVER do that. He'll cut my head off first."

"Doesn't he love you?"

"Not as much as his hair," Arien said mournfully.

The compromise came out as thus: no tux, no tie, but a white button-down shirt, buttoned, black jacket, and black slacks.

"What's the difference between that and his regular uniform?" Arien asked sarcastically.

Ivanna thought, then smiled. "Not much."

"Urrrrrgh," Arien groaned. "I can't believe you're making me do this. You're not my true friend."

"No, I guess not." Ivy smiled.

The next few days continued to give Arien heart attacks. When she came to work the next day, she found Elena awfully chipper and happy. Arien guessed she should be happy for her blonde friend, whatever the reason may be, but after Reno had accidentally lost her report then ordered her to write another one, she should not have been happy. Hell, she should have been furious, screaming. What made her so elated?

"Uh, Elena?" Arien ventured. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am!" Elena flashed a dazzling smile, showing perfect white teeth that nearly blinded the raven-haired Turk. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, after yesterday's incident…" Arien shrugged her shoulders. "I thought you'd be a little angry at Reno."

"Well, no. I'm not."

"May I ask why?"

"I made Tseng propose to me?"

Arien felt that being a Turk had hazardous consequences that weren't listed in the job description: unexpected behavioral patterns among the colleagues that became dangerously threatening to the cardiac veins. At lunch, over the table, Arien reported Elena's news with contempt and disgust. Reno put the fork down, groaned.

"Is_everybody_ getting married?"

"No," Arien replied, signaling the waiter to bring more bread. "Rude isn't."

"Yeah, well, at least he's sane, yo. If everybody went crazy, then I'm quttin' my post." Reno took a bite out of his steak.

"So…" Arien shook her head in disbelief. "That's three."

"Please don't tell me…"

"Rufus decided to get married this month."

Reno looked so frightened Arien half-expected him to pull out his nightstick and hit something in sight, because that was what he did when he was frightened, confused, or just plain out of his ordinary psycho self. She hoped it would be the table. "This isn't right. This better be a damn dream. Why the hell is everyone suddenly deciding to get married, now that we're getting married? It's just like the time at Shiv's birthday luau!"

"What?"

"When Rude got drunk on sambucca and knocked a tiki torch into Rufus' Mideel decoration pot! After that _everybody_ was having birthday luaus, setting fire on everybody, until Rufus said that tiki torches were dangerous and banned it. Ramuh, Shiva, all things Holy, this is getting crazy."

Arien laughed so hard she nearly snorted a tortellini up her nose. Rude getting drunk? Impossible.

And so it was. Arien did not insist on anything, now that she had lost the initial battle; Ivy presented her with choices, including the food, the dress, the cake, the flower arrangements, and Arien just picked without really examining the choices. She did not care if roses or magnolias were on the table; besides, Reno insisted to Arien that this "marriage schmuck" was to remain as just a formality. She knew well that Reno would stay with her as long as he pleased, just like she stayed with him as long as she pleased. They, being who they were, ultimately did whatever they pleased when it came to personal lives, and relationships were no exceptions. Neither of them felt tied up with words such as commitments and "long-term". For people like them who were not entirely sure if they'd live through the next day, those things ceased to exist. In a way, they had numbed so much that they did not even think about the consequences on their son if they happened to die. Rufus had promised that Vincent Miller would not be left to the streets should they perish, that was enough. The only thing that Arien insisted was the "honeymoon getaway", which was more like "fleeing from the marital panic that was all over the place".

"How about Costa del Sol?" Ivy asked as Ivy, Zen, Reno and Arien crowded around Ivy's lounge table a few nights later.

"No friggin' way, yo," Reno replied immediately. "I don't want my granny visitin' me! She's gonna cause a right ol' fuss."

"Reno, she's coming to your wedding. She probably knows already," Ivy reminded gently.

"Yeah, but…"

"Wutai?"

"No," came back the calm reply. "Rufus is going to come chasing after me with another case. I need to rest."

After much heated discussion the destination was decided to be the beach a little off-coast of Costa, which Reno grumbled about. "Why the hell do women like to go to beaches? Coulda been in the mountains, or the snow."

"I thought you'd enjoy a nice view of bikinis," Arien replied caustically. "Besides, if I was masochistic enough to want more cross-country skiing, I'll just use the training floor to kill myself." Reno kept his mouth shut, but grinned at Zen, who grinned back.

* * *

Things were underway at top speed, and without Arien knowing much about it the wedding was arranged and set. The costs came out of Arien and Reno's pockets, but they did not realize how much weddings cost, since it hardly put a dent in their fortune. Days passed by in calm tension, with Elena and Clarissa buzzing in excitement and the men generally in mute acceptance and defeat. It was obvious that the male species didn't really see much value in wedding ceremonies, and was rather more interested in the result itself. For the first time in Turk history, Tseng, Reno, and Rufus were all in agreement about one thing: women were silly and they were never going to understand the mental process of the females, if such things even existed. Arien was out of the bounds, not really caring what went on as far as they got married; taking care of her son, caring for the household and serving her duties as a tactics commander required all her attention and energy, and she did not have any left to care for dresses and scalloped mushrooms.

What about Rude? Reno had ordered Rude to stay behind and man the Turks floor until he returned. When he faced no objections, Reno got very suspicious, and ordered Arien to find out why Rude was so compliant.

"Rude is dating Michele," Arien replied right away when he ordered her. "I suppose he'd want to stick around, be with her without you making fun of him."

Reno, who was kicking a sandbag, tripped and crashed face forward into the unrelenting punching bag. "And how did you know this, baby? Rude tell everyone but his boss?"

"No." Arien watched as Reno resumed his workout. "Michele did."

"Did I ever tell you how much she annoys me?"

"Quite often, I think."

The night before the wedding finally came. Arien was still at her routine, opening her calendar book and crossing out another day. "Look at this," Arien told Reno who was trying not to think about the next day, "this is insane."

"What, yo?"

"Tomorrow is us; three days later it's Elena; two days after that it's Rufus. This is like a viral disease."

"It is a disease," Reno yawned. "It's called female fantasies. Girls dream about white dresses, guys dream about naked tits. Night."

"…" Arien stared at the face for a moment, not entire sure if she was supposed to be amused, depressed at the "shattered dream", or just plain disgusted. Finally, she issued a word that encompassed all the female wisdom that women had accumulated over the years:

"Men!"

* * *

"Ivy, this is ridiculous. Reno's seen me naked. He's done things with me naked. This modesty veil is hypocritical."

"It's a tradition, Arien." Ivy did not really need to hear just how intimate the two Turks were, but Arien offered the information anyway.

Arien looked at herself in the mirror. Ivanna was still suffering from "female fantasies"; the dress was the most impractical thing she had ever seen in her life, and she had seen many impracticalities. It was white silk satin, with no embroideries on the bodice, but with abundant pearls on the skirt that flared aggressively. She wondered how many shirts could be made from her skirt alone. Two? Three? She looked at the doorway, doubted if she could get through. She also thought that she might be airborne like a blimp with a single gust of wind. It was strapless with a straight cut, snug at the waist. The veil covered her hair and her face. She blew at the lace in front of her face, bored, as Ivy fussed over her. She wasn't really the one to "stand still"; her fingers, her legs were always moving. Ivanna demanded complete immobility, from the top of the head to toe. Arien turned, raised her arms, stood still, bent down, stood on her tiptoes as commanded, feeling it more of a torture than the torture training she had gone through when she was tested to join the Turks.

"I'm not a mannequin, and I'm not a dancing monkey in heels," Arien grumbled.

"Now stand still…" Ivy checked the dress. "Yes, this is perfect."

"Where am I going to put my gun?"

"You won't need one."

Arien kept her mouth shut, unwilling to ruin Ivanna's happy mood. While Ivy was looking away at some other thing, she hiked her skirt up, slid a holster on her thigh with a small firearm nestled in the leather. Ivy turned and frowned in disapproval.

"Usually you put your garter belt there, Arien. So your husband can pull it off with his teeth."

"If Reno's face gets near my legs, we'll end up with more than a garter belt off my leg. I'm going to play this safe."

Ivy sighed. Arien was the most unromantic woman Ivy had the honor to befriend. "Now, here is your bouquet. Oh Arien! You look marvelous."

"You know," Arien pointed out dryly, "Reno's entire 'Rebel-badass' look is going to ruin everything."

"Well, he has his tattoos covered, and his suit looks good on him. You'll be fine."

Arien had a doubt about the size of the Northern Crater regarding that comment of confidence, but Ivanna was not listening to her worries. With trepidation and a wry amusement in her mind, Arien squeezed out of the dressing room to be greeted by her father. "Hello, Father," she greeted, looking at the aged man in formalwear. "Ready to see me married?"

"Finally." He snorted. "Took you long enough."

"Thank you for the note of confidence, Father. Let's go."

Arien grasped hold of her father's arm, and entered the hall. Saw her friends, Rufus, Tseng, Rude, Shiv, Zen, Luca (who could have been Reno's twin except for the hair and the lack of tattoos), Reno's parents. Reno's father looked surprised at his son. Maybe for getting married? Perhaps he thought that his wild son was "settling down" at last. Arien bit down a cackle. Reno did not have the ability to settle down. He was always on the move, never still. And she wasn't about to change that. Reno's mother looked gentle as ever, a fragile and feminine woman whose expression, movements, entire being made the fact that Reno was her son incredulous. No Vince or his namesake. Vince would have been utterly confused as to why his mother was getting married to his father now, so the two decided it would be best if Vince did not attend the wedding; Vincent Valentine got the invitation, but did not come. Arien was not hurt by this; she fully expected it. The former Turk was not a man for festivities; he was always in the shadows. Or maybe he didn't want to see it, because it would remind him of what he and Lucrecia Crescent could have been.

"Pay attention," her father whispered as his daughter's eyes wandered.

Reno came in later in his usual stride, but his eyes told her that while he really appreciated her looks for the day, he found this entire ceremony utterly amusing and ridiculous. He raised his eyebrow at her, assessed her, smiled in a satisfied manner.

"Who will be giving away the bride?" The priest asked. Arien killed her grin. A bride. A bride was supposed to be innocent, a virgin. She was certainly not innocent and her virginity was long gone. What an irony.

"I will," her father said. Reno grinned again.

Yet when it was time for the two to swear that they will be "a man and a wife" (Arien found this odd; shouldn't it be husband and wife?), Reno never looked more serious. They did not exchange rings, contrary to the custom; Arien had clearly stated that two rings were more than enough and she was quite content with the ring Reno had given her, long ago.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest announced. Arien nearly burst out laughing again. This was supposed to be another holy rite, the first time the husband could kiss the wife. Reno happened to have kissed more than just her mouth.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Reno whispered.

"I think you're supposed to kiss me."

"Why?"

"Custom."

"It's a stupid custom."

"I know. Just get over with it."

They kissed, and lo and behold, they were married. As they walked down the aisle, arms linked, Reno whispered, "I'm not goin' to the ball."

"Okay."

"Tell you what. Change into regular clothes, meet me in the back."

Arien returned to her own dressing room, and wiggled out of the dress. Pearl necklace went onto the table, as well as a matching bracelet. She slid her legs into a pair of jeans that she had worn in the morning, pulled a baby pink sweater over her head. She changed her shoes into her regular leather pair. Then, with all the sneakiness a Turk could muster, she slid out the door silently.

Reno was already there, clothed in jeans and a black turtleneck. "Okay, I'm here," Arien reported. "Now what?"

"We grab our stuff and run like hell for it."

Since their luggage was still sitting in their house, Reno drove home first. The two loaded the car with their trunks, then sped off to the airport, laughter in their eyes.

* * *

"Where's Arien?" Elena asked. They had all left the hall to the adjoining ball room. The dance was about to start, and by tradition, the new couple was supposed to open the dance floor. However, they were nowhere to be seen.

Ivy came back, looking frustrated. "I found Arien's dress and her pearls. She's gone."

Shivvalan started to laugh. "They got away, Ivy. They ran away."

"What?"

Finally, it hit them. "What an exit," Shiv said, chortling. "The main course isn't here. Oh well."

* * *

It was their fourth day when Reno saw them. He had been sitting on the beach, fully protected by sunscreen and enjoying the warmth the sun offered, generally feeling happy for no reason. Arien was sunbathing next to him, fast asleep. For years they had always been on the move, and they were now truly enjoying a vacation, when they did nothing productive.

"Arie?"

She made no response. Reno sat up, shook her. The book she was reading – some history novel that was unrelated to anything – slid out from her limp hands, fell onto the sand. "Arie!"

Arien opened her eyes, and squinted at him as the sun attacked the blue-green orbs. "What?"

"Tell me I'm hallucinating."

"You're hallucinating," Arien obliged without asking anything, too lazy to ask why.

"No. Look over there, baby." Reno pointed to the distance. Arien groaned, sat up, and looked.

She saw a very blonde head and a very dark head. She looked at Reno. "So?"

"Argh. We came here to get away from our jobs. Oh well… let's wait. Maybe it ain't them." Reno sounded impossibly hopeful.

It was them, shattering Reno's hopes. As soon as the two became more visible, Reno paled. He stood up, his face livid, glaring at the couple.

"What the fuck are you guys doing here?" he shouted before they even acknowledged Reno's existence on the beach. His expression was a confusing mix of bewilderment, annoyance, and irritation.

"On our honeymoon," came the serene reply.

"You HAD to pick here!"

"Well, it's a nice place, isn't it? I guess great minds think alike." Blonde hair shook as laughter spread out into the air.

Arien sat between them as the three stood, staring at each other, uninterested. She lay back on the sand again, and began reading.

"Elena! Did you _plan_ this shit? Because if you did, you're gonna have the sorriest honeymoon on this planet."

"I didn't know you two were coming here!"

"Sure you didn't! You fuckin' liar!"

The argument was starting to get very distracting, and Reno was stepping on her hair, which was painful. Arien slammed the book shut with a loud _snap_. "Sit down," she said. "Stop looming over me. Reno, you're stepping on my hair."

"Sorry." He removed his foot as she sat up. The three obeyed her command to sit down, even Tseng. She was surprised. She was also amazed at how pale the male Turks were, now that they were topless. Sure, she had seen Reno topless before, but Tseng…? She expected darker complexion out of the man. Elena looked ravishing in a white bikini. Of course. Arien hugged her knees, exhibiting her pink enameled toenails to the general public. "Okay. The problem?"

"We're here to get away from our jobs and they-" the accusatory finger was pointed at the newer couple, "-came here. That means we're in constant reminder, yo! That ruins everything."

"What do you want to do?"

"I. Don't. Want. To. See. My. Boss. Or. Elena." Reno emphasized each word with an extremely strong gusto. "So if they don't go, I wanna go."

Arien looked down. "Do we have to?"

"Do you want them here, Arie? I sure as hell don't."

"Reno." She looked him in the eyes. "We've been to Wutai, Bone Village, Northern Crater, Gongaga, possibly everywhere on this planet. I don't want to go anywhere."

"Arie!"

As per usual, Arien won the argument with pleading and begging and threats of tears. Arien really didn't want to go; she liked the sun on her skin, as far as she was protected by ample amounts of sunscreen. Besides, there was nothing to do in the north except to ski, and god forbid if she had to exert more energy to exercise. She got away to relax, not to do cross-country skiing. Reno sighed in the end, a sign of defeat.

Elena watched as Reno sprayed sunscreen on Arien's back, and she did the same for him. "Don't you tan?" She asked teasingly to the redhead. He made a face at her.

"Sorry if we don't turn golden brown like you do without becoming lobster red first, Laney."

* * *

It didn't end there. When Rufus appeared a few days later which pissed Reno off and had tested the maximum patience of the Turk leader, Reno finally gave up and shouted, "Why don't we just move here, yo?! We have all the people!"

Arien calmly shut him up by clapping her hand over his mouth. Reno was not placated however, and demanded outrageous things from his new wife, which she sometimes obeyed when it suited her.

It was the fifth night after Rufus' arrival. He and Clarissa were on the beach together; the auburn beauty was in a sundress, and Rufus was still dressed, but in a more casual style, befitting the beach. It was near sunset, and the other two couples were in the water.

Elena and Tseng were swimming together, supporting each other, as usual. No surprise there. _Tseng will always lead her, _Rufus thought in amusement, _and since Elena thinks Tseng is perfect she will be more than willing to follow his lead. _They were ideal an couple. And as for the "other two"…

Rufus sighed. Reno was splashing Arien with water, and Arien was fighting him, but seemed to be losing. Again. They seemed to enjoy bickering and fighting more than a harmonious partnership. Reno tossed a handful of water in her face, and Arien screamed, slipped and fell backward into the water clumsily with a splash. Rufus wondered how much he had spent on these two, training them, treating them, getting them out of scruples. Millions, possibly in the billions. And here they were, one slipping underwater that showed a grace of a two year old oaf, another using his Turk-trained reflexes to fool around. The Turk leader and the tactics commander were acting more like fifth graders.

Tseng was coming back to the sand, partner in tow. Good. Rufus gestured the Wutaian to come over, then told him to call the others; they were going to get dinner, charged to Rufus' Shinra card, then possibly out for a drink. Tseng nodded and whispered something to Elena.

"It's over," Rufus muttered under his breath.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, Clarissa." He kissed her forehead. "Nothing at all."

* * *

"How dare you!"

Reno could not reply; he was too busy laughing as Arien glared at him, soaked from head to foot. Wedding passed or not, their relationship did not change. Neither of them expected it to change. But Arien would have said that Reno had gotten worse.

"You are the biggest jerk I've ever had the misfortune to meet in my life!" Arien hollered.

"Yeah, well, you're stuck with him, yo."

"Thanks to you."

"Yeah. Thank me."

"Reeeenooooo!" Reno's attention diverted away from her as he saw a flash of blonde on the beach, waving her arms. Arien seized the chance and threw a handful of water straight in his face. "We're going to get dinner! You better come now if you want it!"

Reno sputtered and signaled that they were coming, then wrapped his arm around the wet shoulder. He could not see Arien's face as they were facing the same direction. He pointed at a shadow waving her arm in the distance, then whispered in her ear, "Come on. Time to stop. Dinner."

Arien struggled a little, then started to chuckle. She looked into the sunset. "We did well, didn't we?"

He did not need to ask what she meant. "Yeah, we did. We came out of it alive."

"Alive."

Silence reigned for a few moments as the two listened to the waves slapping against their legs. Then Reno said, "Arie, that thing you saw at the Crater, care to tell me some day?"

"I saw a man," Arien said honestly. "He was… perfection. God, his face was flawless. I was dazzled by him."

Reno's expression became a little hard. "And what brought you back?"

"You." She turned, looked into his eyes, put her ear against his naked chest, heard – and felt – his heartbeat. "I guess the body is more honest than the mind."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry, you'll have to figure that one out yourself." Arien smiled, covered his mouth with hers. Yes, they were alive. So many had died, but they were alive. So was their son, safe in their friend's nest for now. They felt the heartbeat pulsing under the skin on each other's bodies, warmed by the remnant of the red sunlight.

Finally, Reno broke contact. "Come on," he said, turning her away from the sunset and toward the beach. "We're gonna be late."

The bright red sun bid their backs goodbye as they sloshed through the water to the beach together, her body next to his. Triumph, won at so many lives, so many days and sleepless nights.

"Hey, Arie?"

"Hmm?" Splash splash. They ran through the water, hand in hand, just like the time in the cave. Except there were no threats, no visions, no one to be rescued. Nothing to threaten their happiness.

"Just how gorgeous was the guy?"

Arien glanced at Reno, saw him looking at her as they jogged through the shallow water. Her eyes gleamed playfully. "Let's just say," she said as their feet started to feel the sand more acutely, "that right now, you look prettier to me than he did."

"We're going to run late," Elena reprimanded the two of them. Reno shrugged carelessly.

"We were having a little conference, yo."

"I'm sure you were." Elena turned, and ran to follow Tseng. Reno broke out into a run again, still holding Arien's hand.


	26. 25: Epilogue

Thank you for EVERYONE who followed this series! It was painful but fun writing Arien and Reno, since Arien was... well... me. She's based off of me. So all her flaws are mine, and it made me refocus on myself. (No, I am not pretty, unfortunately).

I will continue writing about Reno, because he's a fun character to move. I'm doing a rehaul for C'est La Vie, so if you want the updated version please tell me, and I will send you the link as soon as it is completed. I will also be doing either A: a prequel to C'est La Vie, depicting Reno and Arien's childhood (they met ONCE... spoiler spoiler!) or B: a medical spin-off. Either way, it'll involve the redhead greatly.

Additionally, I'll be writing more "Hysteria" series, since it a lot of people seem to enjoy it.

Again, thank you, readers. I continued writing because of your constant nagging, encouragement and the reminder that someone was reading this piece of "crap". I hope you enjoyed it, maybe found something new...

Here are my last comments regarding the series:

I've had some interesting observations, but the most prevalent one was that "Reno and Arien don't seem to like each other". And that was my intention. They are polar opposites: Reno presented Chaos while Arien was the cosmos. But my point was that they trusted and needed each other more than anything else. And to me, marriage isn't all love and flowers... after all, you see the spouse everyday, see the person drool, get sick, come home drunk, e.t.c. It's more about trusting and needing each other, which, I think they do very much.

I've also created what is not supposed to be a Mary-Sue. I personally hate them, because you can't really see a character development. I hope the readers have observed Arien and Reno's change as people, from hardened and tearless killers to people with blood and tears. They still have much to learn, but I hope Reno and Arien learned something being together. They've made some decisions then dumber ones, but they're human (I hope), so that's to be expected.

Lastly: Thank you, readers, for your time, your support, and your energy.

* * *

Renaldo Miller looked around as he sat at the table. His partner – he still didn't recognize the woman as his wife – was seated facing him, writing something. A missive, perhaps, or an order. Even after marriage Arien had not left the office, and was now the chief of Intelligence, a job that allowed her to sit at home and just order underlings around. But then, none of the mako-generation Turks were Turks anymore. They had all left the post to a better one, with better pays and more sedate job descriptions. Except for him, of course. He was the head of the armed combat tactics, which meant that he got to see just as much action as when he was twenty.

A small girl was to his right, their daughter – Ariel Miller, age seven, with her father's brown hair and mischievous mouth and her mother's slanted eyes. The eyes were deep cerulean; Reno and Arien had failed again to produce a mako-free child. Tall and thin for her age, the child sat quietly, watching TV. His family. Arien had not aged at all. But then, mako-generation did not age, did they?

Arien. They had ran through their twenties, hand in hand, dodging bullets. They had hurt each other, cried for each other, betrayed each other... but in the end, they could not leave each other. Arien looked no older than when he first met her, in the old Shinra Tower. No lines marred her face; but her eyes had changed. She had learned many things; to love a man, to cry, to love a child. He rarely showed any signs of affection for her, and she demanded none. But she knew, as he knew, that for some reason they'd probably be together until "death did them apart".

"I'm gonna go," he told the woman who was now signing her name. "Gotta go pick up Vince."

* * *

Vincent Miller was now at the Junon Military Academy, a serious boy of age thirteen. Dark-haired and bright-eyed like his sister, he looked more serious and was a quiet student. He was not like his father who excelled partly because of his instincts, but he was a hard worker who strived to do his best in everything. Dressed in a navy military uniform with long legs and long arms, he seemed to like the isolation. While other students crowded bidding farewells and exchanging addresses, he stood alone at the front door with his two bodyguards, assigned to the task by the President to protect the heir.

Reno got out of the car – he still drove, not out of necessity but out of preference – and slammed the door shut. Walked up to the waiting child. The bodyguards tensed, then relaxed as they saw the father. "Hey kid," he said cheerfully as Vince picked up the duffel bag, "How was the term?"

"I'm the President of the class," Vince reported gloomily, clearly unhappy about the honor. Reno grinned. Vincent resembled his mother in many ways, but his habit of shirking responsibility came directly from his father.

"Sorry for ya. But Rufus would be happy." Reno watched as his son loaded the duffel bag into the trunk, then slam the trunk shut. "Nothing left? Okay, let's go."

As Reno turned the key in the ignition, Vince strapped on the seatbelt. The car backed out, then swerved, back onto the street. The child seemed unperturbed by the violent driving; he was used to it, just as he was used to his mother's cautious and slow driving. "How's Mother?"

"Doin' fine. She's gonna teach you marksmanship this summer."

"That would be nice. We start gun handling next term."

"Yeah, well, she's a pro." Which was exactly why Reno had banned firearms from the bedroom. In response, Arien had removed all knives and nightsticks that were hidden around the bedchamber. Reno knew that Arien would never seriously fight him without a weapon, since he could easily take her out anytime.

"Ariel?"

"She was running around this morning singing 'Vin is coming back'. She ran into the kitchen cabinet."

"Is she okay?"

"Yup. Your mum gave a good scolding, though, so she's a little low-key now." Reno lit a cigarette. Arien and Ariel would be waiting for them, lunch on the table, Ariel like a small doll, Arien sitting in her seat. His partner, his lover.

Vince watched as the scenery flew by, silent. As they passed by the sign that said "Welcome to The Edge", the boy opened his mouth. "Father?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you tell me what it meant for you to be a Turk?"

Reno did not look at him, but continued to drive; Vince continued to look straight ahead as the buildings flew by. But from the front mirror, he saw his father's lips curve into a grin. "Maybe," said the mouth, but the teenager saw the eyes say otherwise. "Later," the eyes said. "Much later."


End file.
